You likely already know that smoking isn’t good for you and neither are things like leading a sedentary lifestyle. But did you know there’s fascinating research indicating a connection between untreated hearing loss and early death?
Individual life expectancy varies widely, of course. This variance can be related to things like where you live, access to healthy foods, healthcare accessibility, kind of work, and even gender. But even taking these differences into consideration, individuals with neglected hearing loss appear to die earlier.
Studies Linking Premature Death to Hearing Loss
Over a two year period, stats from over 50,000 people was examined by Norwegian researchers. The cases of death for all the individuals were cross-referenced with the data. Whatever the cause, early death could be connected to untreated hearing loss.
The risk of cardiovascular death is greater for individuals who have hearing loss particularly if they live by themselves and there is a 21% higher morbidity for individuals with even mild hearing loss, according to other studies.
Clarifying The Connection
For scientists, just because they find a connection doesn’t mean that a causality is firmly demonstrated. Instead, they attempt to identify why the connection exists. How are the two really linked?
In this same research it was revealed that there was a greater risk in women with no children and women and men who are divorced. This indicates that social life has an impact on longevity.
Earlier studies support this presumption. One study published in the Journal of Epidemiology evaluated the data from over half a million participants. It revealed that the chance of early death was significantly raised by social isolation.
How Does Social Stability Contribute to Longevity?
Having relationships socially with others has many life-extending benefits much like a herd of elephants or a pack of wolves:
- Mental stimulation… You’re sharing, joking and conversing with people.
- Motivation… Having people around can encourage a person to get up in the morning, do new things and look forward to their day.
- Support… A person with a robust social network is more likely to ask for help if they need it (instead of attempting to do something dangerous on their own).
- Improved diet and health… Socially connected people frequently have better access to healthy food and can get to doctor’s appointments.
- Safety… If you need medical help, you will be more likely to get it right away if there are more people around.
- Physical stimulation… If you have people around you, you’re more likely to get physical exercise.
What is it about neglected hearing loss that takes all of this away?
Decreased Longevity And Social Isolation Can be The Consequence of Untreated Hearing Loss
You probably have family who will always be there for you. It’s hard to imagine how hearing loss might change that.
Have you ever been in a room full of strangers enjoying each other’s company, but ignoring you? It was probably a lonely feeling. This is what untreated hearing loss can begin to feel like. People aren’t necessarily ignoring you. It seems as if you’re being ignored because people are starting to have a difficult time having a conversation with you.
From your perspective, you frequently feel out of the loop because you lose parts of the conversation. Physical and emotional withdrawal, even at family gatherings, can be the outcome. The appeal of going to a club or restaurant with friends begins to fade away. You might find that you simply avoid these types of interactions. In addition, many individuals experiencing worsening hearing loss have:
- Mental exhaustion
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
These make social contact even more difficult.
The Norwegian researchers offer a positive side in their research, however. They reached a very important conclusion after evaluating their research. The link between early death and hearing loss can be broken by wearing hearing aids.
You will remain healthier, more active and social if you wear hearing aids and that can give you longevity.
This fact can be reinforced by similar studies. The American Academy of Audiology carried out one such study. They revealed that when those with hearing loss wear hearing aids consistently, they have:
- Greater independence
- Improved social life outside the home
- Better relationships with family
Early Death Linked to Untreated Hearing Loss
Early death and hearing loss have a complex connection. But when we combine the abundance of data, a whole picture appears. The effect of hearing loss on health, relationships, and finances is unveiled. So the premature death connection isn’t difficult to understand.
It’s also clear that getting your hearing loss treated can reverse the impact of hearing loss on every part of life. You can keep living an active, social and healthy life well into those older years.
References
https://www.earth.com/news/hearing-loss-premature-death/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/hearing/news-briefs-does-hearing-loss-boost-death-risk
https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/hearing-loss-risk-factor-premature-death
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwy231
