If you’re not treating your symptoms properly, hearing loss can put you in the hospital. You might think that this is a bit of an exaggeration. We usually consider hearing loss as not much more than a hassle – something that makes the news a little tougher to hear or, at worst, makes you unknowingly agree to something you didn’t mean.
But new research is sounding an alarm over the long-term health effects of neglected hearing loss.
How is Your Health Related to Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first sight, seem like it has very much of a relationship with other health concerns. But research carried out by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that neglected hearing loss can result in a 50% increase in hospital visits over time. The longer the hearing loss goes untreated, the more severe the health havoc get.
That’s a puzzling finding: how is your overall state of health linked to your ability to hear? That question can have a complicated answer.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Untreated hearing loss has been connected with a number of other health issues, like:
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and maintain situational focus.
- An increase in anxiety and depression. Basically, the likelihood of anxiety and depression increases with hearing loss and that will bring about health problems both physical and mental.
- Memory can begin failing. In fact, your odds of developing dementia double with neglected hearing loss.
Hearing Aids: An effective Answer
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Far from it. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research reveals that up to 75% of hearing loss related mental decline can be stopped in its tracks by one easy solution: wearing a hearing aid.
The health hazards associated with hearing loss can be significantly reduced by wearing hearing aids. The following improvements were noted in people who used hearing aids for as little as two weeks:
- Traumatic brain injury reductions.
- Brain function improvements.
- Improvements in balance and awareness.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins looked at data from 77,000 patients collected over about twenty years. And a critical part of maintaining your health lies in safeguarding your hearing which is a surprising conclusion. Being sick usually costs money, so caring for your hearing also safeguards your financial well being.
Caring For Your Health And Your Hearing
Hearing loss is a perfectly common part of the aging process, though it’s not exclusive to aging. Hearing loss can develop at any age due to occupational hazards, accidents, or diseases.
However, it’s important to address any hearing loss you may be experiencing. Your health could depend on it.