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. Most people think of hearing loss as an inconvenience that makes it tough to hear the TV or what someone is saying at worst.
But current research is ringing alarm bells about the long-term health impacts of neglected hearing loss.
What Does Hearing Loss Have to do With Your Health?
At first glance, hearing loss doesn’t appear to have that much to do with other health concerns. But research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals that over time, visits to the hospital can increase by as much as 50% for someone with untreated hearing loss. The risk of serious health problems goes up the longer hearing loss remains untreated.
That’s a puzzling finding: what does hearing have to do with your overall health? That question can have a complicated answer.
Hearing Health And Mental Health
Untreated hearing loss has been connected with numerous other health issues, like:
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and keep your situational focus.
- You start to lose your memory. As a matter of fact, your odds of getting dementia double with untreated hearing loss.
- Higher instance of depression and anxiety. Simply put, untreated hearing loss can increase depression and anxiety, which in turn can have a strong negative effect on your physical body, to say nothing of your mental health.
Hearing Aids Really Help
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research suggests that up to 75% of hearing loss associated mental decline can be halted by one basic solution: using a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a powerful impact on mitigating the dangers linked to neglected hearing loss. According to the research, patients who wore hearing aids for only two weeks saw:
- Traumatic brain injury reductions.
- Brain function improvements.
- Improvements in balance and awareness.
Over a period of about two decades, Johns Hopkins collected and analyzed data from over 77,000 individuals. And what they found is staggeringly simple: protecting your hearing is essential to maintaining your health. Being sick can be costly, so taking care of your hearing also safeguards your financial well being.
Caring For Your Health And Your Hearing
Hearing loss is not exclusive to getting older but it is a part of it. Due to accidents, occupational hazards, and disease, hearing loss can develop at any age.
However, it’s essential to address any hearing loss you might be experiencing. Your health could depend on it.