Hearing Loss and Mental health Connection
- Author Travis Suave
- Published February 18, 2019
- Word count 445
Losing your hearing is a difficult and frustrating experience for anyone to go through. Time progresses and sounds become harder to pick up, voices become harder to hear, and many people face inevitable stress trying to understand the next steps and what life to come looks like.
But what many people don’t consider beyond the surface is the effect that untreated hearing loss will have on their mental health. At Little Rock Audiology, we are advocates for taking care of hearing along with recognizing and acknowledging when symptoms are occurring in order to take care of your mental health. Conditions and feelings that stem from hearing loss include the following.
Depression
Depression is a common result of hearing loss. So much so that the National Council of Aging has found that those with hearing loss are 50 percent more likely to experience depression. A study found seniors having untreated hearing loss often reporting feelings of being depressed for periods of two weeks or longer. For the longest time it was believed that adults approaching their later years of life that hearing loss is just a harmless reality, but this clearly debunks this myth. Women with hearing loss have also been known to experience higher rates of depression than their male counterparts.
Cognitive Decline
Recent hearing loss studies have connected cognitive decline with untreated hearing loss. We don’t know if cognitive decline or even dementia are caused by hearing loss, but we do know there is a link established that needs to be looked further into. Research leads to the idea that a higher risk of dementia and cognitive decline among those with untreated hearing loss is caused by a number of factors. One University of Colorado found that a phenomenon called "Brain Reorganization" is common with hearing loss, where as the part of your brain devoted to hearing shrinks as the ability is lost and other parts of the brain step in to fill the vacated roles.
Social Isolation
Loneliness and isolation is a serious risk for seniors with hearing loss. Many become frustrated in their struggle to hear and understand, more so in noisy environments than others. They’ll avoid getting out and living life the way they once enjoyed. This very much goes hand-in-hand with the idea of the risk of cognitive decline and dementia from untreated hearing loss, as your brain is like a muscle and the loss of one sense decreases the stimulation it once had.
At Little Rock Audiology, we are passionate about helping people prevent hearing loss and also getting people back to a sense of normalcy with hearing aid and counseling solutions. Call today to learn more!
Rate article
Article comments
Related articles
- The two doctors who made a difference in preventing polio
- What was the Miasma Theory of Disease
- Can Dental Nerve Damage Heal? Understanding Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options
- How does pfizer xanax 2mg work ?
- How to deal with painful chilblains on the foot?
- How to treat Severs Disease in the Child's Foot?
- Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits in Children | Practical Tips and Success Stories
- What is sesamoiditis in the foot and what can be done about it?
- Alcohol Consumption: Risks, Influences, and Health Impacts
- Dr. Aaron Cwik DDS inspired by Oral Surgeon Robert Marx
- How to deal with growing pains in the legs of children?
- What is a Durlacher corn on the foot?
- What does the future hole for Alzheimers disease?
- Heel spur & Foot scan treatment
- How can moisture between the toes be treated?
- Butler Family Health Center Unveils New Website to Enhance Patient Experience in Centennial, Colorado Area
- THCa vs. CBD: Difference and Medical Benefits
- What is a Morton's Neuroma in the Foot?
- How to deal with tired and aching feet?
- Why Choose Dental Implants in Bangor for a Perfect Smile
- What is the best treatment for plantar fasciitis in the foot?
- What are the most common cause of problems with the toenails?
- The Importance of Childhood Immunisations for Long-term Health | KinderCure
- Venetoclax Overview
- The importance of childhood vaccinations
- Clavicle fractures; clinical pictures, diagnosis, treatment
- Lessons You Can learn from the fitness class
- Navigating the Stars: A Critical Examination of Medical Astrology
- Fighting the Silent Epidemic: Safeguard Your Child's Future with Vitamin D Screening at KinderCure | Dr. Garima Mengi
- Enhancing Child Health with Mindfulness: Insights from KinderCure’s Dr. Garima Mengi