Most people imagine an elderly person saying “what’s that sonny” when they picture hearing loss. Impacting more than just your ability to hear, hearing loss has increased dramatically amongst all age groups. Surprising consequences result from not having it taken care of. Based solely on these four, it’s worth having your hearing checked.
1. Mental Decline
Even though you might not have previously known it, hearing loss can influence your overall health. The most serious is the impact hearing loss has on your cognitive functions and brain health. There is evidence that some conditions people connect with aging, such as memory loss, may really be caused by hearing decline.
When it comes to hearing loss, the brain’s natural ability to adjust to sensory changes backfires. For a person with regular hearing, a sound is processed through the inner ear in a way that the brain can understand. This mechanism enables you to tell the difference between the music coming from your car stereo and the music the ice cream truck plays as it goes down your street.
The brain encounters sound every microsecond whether you think you are hearing something or not. Air hissing in through a vent and other ambient sounds are around you even if you are sitting in a quiet room. Your brain filters it out because it decides you don’t need to hear it.
The brain comes to expect this stimulus. When there is loss of hearing, suddenly it doesn’t get the same quantity or quality of sound. It still thinks it’s there, though and struggles to hear it. The fatigue on the brain and absence of stimuli can cause cognitive decline that raises your risk of dementia later in life. Memory loss and cognitive decline are forty percent more common in seniors with hearing loss, according to studies. Even more compelling, people with hearing loss that get treatment such as hearings aids have been shown to improve cognitive function.
2. Stomach Trouble
That’s not as much of a stretch as it seems. Hearing loss leads to changes which are related to:
- Muscle tension
- Anxiety
- Upset stomach
The constant strain can cause intestinal problems like:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Abdominal cramps
As the discomfort increases, you could end up with a more severe intestinal condition like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
3. Mental Health Problems
The impact hearing loss has on your mental health is more than likely the most noticeable side effect. A 2014 study found that an increase in depression correlates to a decline of hearing in adults below the age of 70.
The depression is most likely accounted for by the fact that people who suffer from hearing loss have a tough time communicating with others, according to JAMA Otolaryngology Neck Surgery. The research indicates that depression is more prominent in women between the ages of 18 to 69.
Through the years, the untreated hearing loss has been linked to many mental health conditions like:
- Negativism
- Irritability
- Anger
- Lack of focus
- Social withdrawal
People stop trying if they can’t communicate successfully and that causes depression and psychological anxiety.
4. Relationship Troubles
The negative effects of hearing loss impacts more than your physical and mental health. People with poor hearing statistically make less money. A 2007 study conducted by the Better Hearing Institute found individuals with untreated hearing loss make on average 20,000 dollars less a year than their hearing colleagues.
Hearing loss creates problems in personal relationships, as well. A 2007 survey found 35 percent of the respondents had a hard time maintaining relationships if they suffered from hearing loss. The survey showed:
- Forty-three percent of men indicated that they had trouble with relationships due to their hearing loss
- Most women indicated relationships with family members and friends were a significant concern with the hearing loss
- Thirty-seven percent of women interviewed reported getting irritated when someone with hearing loss wasn’t listening to them
- Thirty-five percent of men reported they agreed to treatment for hearing loss because their spouse or partner pressured them into it
Your self-esteem and the state of your health are affected by hearing loss. It also has an effect on your relationships. What’s promising is many of these side effects disappear or lesson when you get help such as hearing aids. Schedule a hearing test to find out what course of action is best for you.
