You can end up in the hospital if you don’t properly treat your hearing loss symptoms. You might think that this is somewhat of an exaggeration. We usually consider hearing loss as not much more than an inconvenience – something that makes the news a little harder to hear or, at worst, makes you unknowingly agree to something you didn’t mean.
But new research is sounding an alarm about the long-term health effects of neglected hearing loss.
What Does Hearing Loss Have to do With Your Health?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first glance, seem like it has much of a relationship with other health concerns. But research carried out by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that over time, visits to the hospital can increase by as much as 50% for someone with untreated hearing loss. The longer the hearing loss remains unmanaged, the more significant the health havoc becomes.
That seems like a curious discovery: how is your overall state of health associated with your ability to hear? That question can have a complicated answer.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Untreated hearing loss has been linked to numerous other health problems, including:
- Loss of balance. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and maintain situational awareness.
- Memory can start to fail. As a matter of fact, your odds of developing dementia double with neglected hearing loss.
- An increase in anxiety and depression. Simply stated, neglected hearing loss can increase depression and anxiety, which will then have a strong negative effect on your physical body, not to mention your mental health.
Hearing Aids: A Real Answer
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research reveals that up to 75% of hearing loss related cognitive decline can be halted by one simple solution: using a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a profound impact on mitigating the dangers linked to untreated hearing loss. According to the research, people who wore hearing aids for only two weeks saw:
- Brain function improvements.
- Reductions in severe brain injuries.
- Balance and awareness improvements.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins examined data from 77,000 patients accumulated over about two decades. And a critical part of preserving your health lies in safeguarding your hearing which is a surprising conclusion. Taking care of your hearing health also helps your financial well-being, because being sick can be expensive.
Preserving Your Hearing And Your Health
Hearing loss is not exclusive to getting older but it is a part of it. Hearing loss can occur at any age due to accidents, occupational hazards, or diseases.
However, it’s important to address any hearing loss you may be noticing. Your health could depend on it.
