Anxiety is defined as a continual state of alertness. It alerts us to peril, but for some people, anxiety becomes unregulated, and their bodies react as if everything is a potential threat. You could find yourself filled with feelings of anxiety while doing everyday tasks. Everything seems more daunting than it usually would and day-to-day life becomes an emotional struggle.
And anxiety, for others, can become more than an emotional issue – the symptoms may become physical. Dizziness, insomnia, nausea, and heart palpitations are a few of the physical symptoms. Some might struggle with these feelings their whole lives, while other people might find that as their hearing gets worse, they begin to feel increased anxiety.
In contrast to some aging issues which appear suddenly, hearing loss tends to creep up on you until all of a sudden your hearing professional informs you that you need a hearing aid. This should be a lot like finding out you need glasses, but failing vision usually doesn’t cause the same level of anxiety that hearing loss does. Even if you’ve never had severe anxiety this can still happen. For those already dealing with depression or anxiety, hearing loss can amplify it.
What’s That?
Hearing loss produces new worries: How much did you say that cost? How many times can I say “huh”? Are they annoyed at me for asking them to repeat themselves? Will my kids still call? These worries escalate as anxiety takes hold, which is a common reaction, especially when daily experiences become stressful. If you no longer accept invitations to dinner or larger get-togethers, you might want to evaluate your reasoning. Your struggle to hear and understand conversations could be the reason why you keep turning down invitations if you’re being honest with yourself. While this may help in the short-term, in the long-term, you will grow more isolated, which will result in increased anxiety.
Am I Alone?
Others are also going through this. It’s increasingly common for people to be dealing with anxiety. Roughly 18% of the population struggles with an anxiety disorder. Hearing loss, especially when neglected, raises the chance of being diagnosed with an anxiety condition according to recent studies. It could work the opposite way too. Some research has shown that anxiety increases your chances of developing hearing loss. It’s unfortunate that people continue to unnecessarily deal with both of these conditions considering how treatable they are.
Choices For Treatment
If your anxiety is a result of hearing loss you should come in to be fitted for a hearing aid. Don’t wait until your next check-up, especially if you’ve detected a rapid change in your hearing. For many, hearing aids decrease anxiety by reducing miscommunications and embarrassment in social situations.
At first your anxiety might increase a bit due to the learning curve that comes with hearing aids. It can take weeks to learn the basics of hearing aids and get used to wearing them. So if you struggle somewhat at first, be patient and try not to be frustrated. If you’re currently wearing hearing aids and still find yourself struggling with anxiety, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your doctor. There are many methods to deal with anxiety, and your doctor might suggest lifestyle changes like increased exercise, to benefit your individual situation.
