You can wind up in the hospital if you don’t correctly treat your hearing loss symptoms. You might think that this is somewhat of 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 current research is sounding an alarm over the long-term health effects of untreated hearing loss.
What Does Hearing Loss Have to do With Your Health?
At first sight, 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 up to 50% for someone with untreated hearing loss. The longer the hearing loss goes unmanaged, the more severe the health havoc becomes.
That seems like a curious discovery: how is your total state of health related to your ability to hear? The answer is complicated.
The Connection Between Mental Health And Hearing
Here are a few of the health issues associated with hearing loss:
- Memory can start to fail. In fact, your odds of getting dementia double with neglected hearing loss.
- Higher instance of depression and anxiety. Basically, the likelihood of anxiety and depression increases with hearing loss and that will lead to health issues both physical and mental.
- Balance problems. Hearing loss can make it more difficult to keep your balance and keep your situational focus.
Hearing Aids: An effective Solution
There’s some good news though. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School research indicates that up to 75% of the cognitive decline connected to hearing loss can be stopped in its tracks by one basic solution: wearing a hearing aid.
Wearing a hearing aid has a powerful impact on putting an end to the risks linked to neglected hearing loss. The following improvements were revealed in individuals who wore hearing aids for as little as two weeks:
- Improvements in balance and awareness.
- Reductions in traumatic brain injuries.
- Improvements in brain function.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins studied data from 77,000 patients accumulated over around two decades. And a crucial 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 a perfectly normal part of getting older, although it’s not exclusive to aging. Hearing loss can develop at any age because of accidents, occupational hazards, or diseases.
However or whenever you lose your hearing, it’s extremely important to deal with it. Your health could depend on it.
