The Hidden Risks of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is a health condition all in itself, but hearing loss also has links with a number of other health problems and risks. Far from hearing loss being a condition that relates to communication, it has become clear over the last few years there are a number of other implications on an individual’s health. Here are some of the hidden risks hearing loss poses.

Isolation and Associated Mental Health Conditions

The development of hearing loss is gradual and can occur over many years. People who experience hearing loss over time may find themselves avoiding conversations, either because it is too difficult to engage with the other person due to the excessive noise in the environment or because the individual does not want to admit they have issues with the hearing and choose to isolate themselves. As a result, it can lead to loneliness and depression, which can take a toll on their physical health.

Diabetes and Heart Disease

It is important to note that diabetes may be the cause of hearing loss, rather than the other way around, but diabetes might affect the blood flow to the ear, resulting in hearing loss. While the connection is unclear between heart disease and hearing concerns, there is gradually more evidence pointing to the links between heart disease and diabetes in relation to hearing loss.

Balance Issues

If our hearing is compromised, this can have an effect on our balance. To stay upright involves your brain following a variety of subtle clues in your hearing. Therefore, if you experience hearing loss, the quality of the sounds or diminished results in more strain on your cognition. If your brain has to work harder to process what is going on around you, your brain is making that extra effort, which may cause disruption to your balance.

If you have a high degree of hearing loss, you may have a greater risk of falling. Falls are one of the most common causes of concern in older people, and a fall can result in a visit to the hospital.

Atrophy

It is the role of the brain to interpret all of the information. Our hearing occurs in the auditory cortex of the brain in the temporal lobe. When hearing is diminished, this results in a decline in cognitive function. This may result in issues like impaired thinking and memory loss, and this could increase the risk of developing dementia or any form of age-related cognitive decline.

Compromised Safety

There is a wide range of risks associated with hearing loss, and none more concerning in everyday life as compromised safety. The risk of having a fall is tripled with someone experiencing hearing loss, but in addition, an individual who is experiencing hearing loss will find themselves at greater risk in a number of different ways. For example, not hearing sirens while sitting in traffic or smoke alarms at home.

Fatigue

Experiencing hearing loss can greatly accelerate feelings of fatigue in an individual. If you are having to make an extra effort to hear what people are saying, or you are spending more time reading their lips, as well as trying to fill in the gaps of things that you didn’t hear, this will greatly contribute to feelings of fatigue.

This is a very subtle, yet wide-ranging impact of experiencing hearing loss. If you spend a lot of your working day trying to piece together what occurred during a meeting, or you were in a social setting attempting to follow a conversation with a number of others around you, this can accumulate feelings of fatigue.

Depression

While the topic of isolation has already been covered, it’s important to note that depression can be due to isolation or coming to terms with the fact that you may have some form of a hearing problem. For example, an individual who is in peak physical condition and discovers that they have a hearing problem earlier in life could feel reluctant to get it checked out.

This can mean that they start to avoid social functions and become more withdrawn, which can increase feelings of depression and anxiety. Approximately 20% of people in their 20s already have some form of hearing loss, either due to their lifestyle or working environment.

If you are experiencing some form of hearing loss, it is important that you get an appointment with a hearing instrument specialist. You can contact Niagara Hearing and Speech Clinic at (855) 797-8002 to get a hearing test. Hearing loss is more common than you think, and, as you can see, comes with a variety of other hidden risks.