Hearing and Your Health
Hearing loss is frustrating for those who have it and for their loved ones. But did you know that untreated hearing loss is also linked to changes in cognitive function, walking problems and falling, depression, and prolonged hospitalizations. There are also other common medical conditions, called comorbidities, that increase your risk of developing hearing loss and can cause it to progress faster. Anything that affects your blood flow can affect your hearing in a negative way. This includes diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, al of which are associated with an increased risk of hearing loss.
Those who have difficulty hearing can also experience a variety of unexpected consequences of the hearing loss such as:
- Avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
- Reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
- Impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
- Irritability, negativism and anger
- Fatigue, tension, stress and depression
- Social rejection and loneliness
- Reduced job performance and earning power
- Diminished psychological and overall health
Hearing Loss
and Diabetes
Did you know that diabetes can harm your hearing and your balance? The Centers for Disease Control and the American Diabetes Association recognize the importance of audiology management and monitoring in diabetes care.
The good news is you can take steps to hear well and reduce your risk of falls.
Diabetes damages small blood vessels in your inner ear and your vestibular system, which is the part of your inner ear that helps with balance. It can make it harder for signals related to hearing and balance to get to your brain. Hearing loss is more common in people with diabetes and you are more likely to fall if you have diabetes because of damage to your vestibular system.
- Hearing loss can make you appear confused or as if you are not paying attention.
- Uncorrected hearing loss can make you feel depressed or anxious.
- Family and friends may be aware of your hearing loss before you are.
- Hearing loss affects how you communicate at work, with family, and with your health care team.
Hearing Loss
and Memory
Hearing loss and its relationship to memory is yet another piece to the puzzle highlighting the importance of how healthy hearing leads to a healthier brain. The more effort your brain needs to focus, comprehend, and interpret conversation or sound, the less ability you have to add “remember” in the mix of the other efforts.
When hearing health is addressed and improved, patients have the potential to remember 20% more of their conversations, 20% less effort in their listening, and increase their speech understanding by 30%.
Recent studies have shown that “following conversation in noisy situations” is the number one challenge for people with hearing loss. Additionally, many patients with hearing loss experience tinnitus, which is the perception of ringing, buzzing, hissing, or other irritant noises. This is yet another distractor for your brain, that takes away from the ability to comprehend and remember.
Hearing Loss
and Mental Health
Have you noticed you’re feeling more anxious or sad? Untreated hearing loss is associated with social isolation and loneliness. Anxiety and depression are 4x greater among people with hearing loss. The use of hearing aids can stimulate the brain and help people remain engaged in activities that are mentally challenging, providing benefits for brain health.
If you have a personal history or a family history of mental health issues, it is all the more important that you be proactive, in order to reduce the onset of mental health issues. Communication is key. Be sure to discuss your mental well-being and hearing health with not only your audiologist but also any mental health professional as well.
