You can end up in the hospital if you don’t properly treat your hearing loss symptoms. I know that sounds like an exaggeration. Most individuals 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 effects of untreated hearing loss is beginning to get significant attention from researchers.
How is Your Health Linked to Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss doesn’t, at first glance, seem like it has much of a link to other health concerns. But research carried out by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that untreated hearing loss can result in a 50% increase in visits to the hospital over time. The possibility of serious health issues goes up the longer hearing loss remains untreated.
That seems like a strange discovery: how is your total state of health associated with your ability to hear? The answer is challenging.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Untreated hearing loss has been linked to numerous other health issues, including:
- Balance problems. Hearing loss can make it harder to keep your balance and maintain situational focus.
- An increase in anxiety and depression. Simply stated, neglected hearing loss can increase depression and anxiety, which will then have a strong negative impact on your physical body, to say nothing of your mental health.
- Memory can begin failing. As a matter of fact, your odds of getting dementia double with untreated hearing loss.
Hearing Aids Really Help
It’s not all gloom and doom, though. Far from it. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research suggests that up to 75% of the cognitive decline associated with hearing loss can be halted by one basic solution: using a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a profound impact on putting an end to the dangers associated with neglected hearing loss. The following improvements were revealed in people who wore hearing aids for as little as two weeks:
- Improvements in awareness and balance.
- Severe brain injury reductions.
- Improvements in brain function.
Over a period of roughly twenty years, Johns Hopkins accumulated and analyzed data from over 77,000 people. And what they found is staggeringly simple: protecting your hearing is essential to maintaining your health. Taking care of your hearing health also benefits your financial well-being, because being sick can be expensive.
Preserving Your Hearing And Your Health
Hearing loss is a perfectly typical part of getting older, although it’s not exclusive to getting older. Hearing loss can occur at any age as a result of occupational hazards, accidents, or diseases.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s really important to have it checked. Your health could depend on it.