Health Hazards Associated with Hearing Loss
More than 460 million people around the world are suffering from mild to profound hearing loss around the world. This problem is increasing day by day. People with hearing loss often ignore this condition by considering it a simple inconvenience. However, if not taken proper measures, it can cause serious health problems and hamper the way of life. In the following article, we will briefly discuss some of the underlying causes that can be triggered by hearing loss.
Where Hearing Meets the Health
In our everyday life, we highly rely on sounds, from waking up in the morning by the alarm to going to sleep with the humming of soft music; our body and brain depend upon sound. Hearing loss takes away the ability. While walking, we pick up subtle sounds that aware us of the danger around us. To express our feeling, we use speech to communicate. Hearing loss can snatch all of these away from us. Although, some people avoid seeking treatments and help when faced with a hearing loss. It only worsens the condition and pushes them toward inevitable deafness.
Some Concerning Mental & Health Condition
Here we have listed out a few medical conditions that are directly linked with hearing loss. These are not to scare you but give you an understanding of what you will have to deal with in the upcoming future. Some of the most prominent conditions being:
Loneliness, Isolation & Depression
Hearing loss often occurs gradually with time. Today’s subtle discomfort in hearing may lead to profound hearing loss. In this condition, you may ask people around you to repeat themselves constantly. That can be irritating both for you and the people around you. As a result, either you, or they, or both may start avoiding each other. This is just the start of the inevitable loneliness. Soon, you may find yourself isolated from all the social activities. From there, you just need one tiny push to build your house in the deep depression. The picture is not pretty in any way you look. However, the whole situation could be avoided if the person got the help he needed when he had the tiniest bit of hearing problem.
Cognitive Impairment & Dementia
Cognitive impairment is the condition where a person lacks the ability to problem solve, loses memory, faces difficulties to recognize people or places, or constantly changes the mood. Some researchers believe that when the brain is giving too much attention to hearing, it faces difficulty performing other tasks. Therefore, diseases like Alzheimer’s, Dementia can occur. Although this theory is up to debate, no doubt that withdrawing from conversations and social gatherings can worsen the situation.
Falling & Stumbling
We use sounds to be aware of our surroundings. Our ability to detect danger can be highly associated with it. So, when a person is having difficulty hearing sounds, he’s more likely to fall in danger. A study has shown that people with a higher degree of hearing loss possess a higher degree of risk of falling and tripping. They have certain theories about the causes, but the research is still in its early days.
Diabetes and Heart Diseases
When a person is diagnosed with hearing loss, it is often caused by defects in the inner ear. In severe cases, the blood flow of the inner ear may be blocked. Therefore, the signals to control sugar in the blood may not reach the appropriate gland. As a result, long-lasting conditions like Diabetes can occur in the human body. In severe cases, the fats can be reached in the heart and promote several chronic heart diseases. More data is required to find out the exact reasons that associate diabetes with hearing loss. But it is too hard, as most people are not willing to get treatment.
Concerns are Raging
According to the National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders, 2% of adults aged from 45 to 54 are suffering from hearing loss. This percentage increases with the increasing age group. Hearing loss is pretty common with aging, and many people seem to be okay with it. Some may stay in denial and blame others for mumbling. While there are some people who accept that they are going to face hearing difficulty as they age. Therefore, many underlying illnesses can grow within them and affect them easily.
A person with hearing loss may not be aware or willing to get the help that they need. Therefore, their quality of life can decrease significantly. As a result, the darkness of loneliness and depression can easily claw into them and claim significant damages. However, a well-timed diagnosis and preventive steps can help them in the long run hearing aids, cochlear implants can help with such conditions. Although, many people tend to dismiss it because of some dumb myths and useless scary tales. Always remember, a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. But when one of them breaks apart, the whole castle crumbles.