You can end up in the hospital if you don’t correctly treat your hearing loss symptoms. I know that sounds like an exaggeration. Most people think of hearing loss as an inconvenience that makes it difficult to hear the TV or what somebody is saying at worst
But the long-term health impacts of neglected hearing loss is beginning to get significant attention from researchers.
How is Your Health Linked to Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first sight, seem as if it has very much of a relationship with other health concerns. But research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals that neglected hearing loss can lead to a 50% increase in hospital visits over time. The longer the hearing loss goes untreated, the more significant the health havoc becomes.
That’s a curious finding: what does hearing have to do with your general health? The answer is challenging.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Untreated hearing loss has been linked to several other health problems, including:
- Balance balance issues. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and keep your situational awareness.
- You begin to lose your memory. As a matter of fact, your odds of developing dementia is twice as high with untreated hearing loss.
- Higher instance of depression and anxiety. Simply stated, neglected hearing loss can increase depression and anxiety, which in turn can have a powerfully negative impact on your physical body, not to mention your mental health.
Hearing Aids: A Real Solution
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Far from it. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research reveals that up to 75% of the mental decline connected to hearing loss can be halted by one easy solution: wearing a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a profound impact on putting an end to the risks connected to untreated hearing loss. The following improvements were revealed in people who used hearing aids for as little as two weeks:
- Awareness and balance improvements.
- Severe brain injury reductions.
- Brain function improvements.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins studied data from 77,000 patients collected over roughly two decades. And a crucial part of maintaining your health lies in protecting your hearing which is a surprising outcome. Being sick usually costs money, so caring for your hearing also safeguards your financial well being.
Preserving Your Hearing And Your Health
Hearing loss is not exclusive to the aging process but it is a part of it. Hearing loss can occur at any age because of accidents, occupational hazards, or diseases.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s really important to have it checked. Otherwise, your health could be negatively impacted.