Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
While hearing loss is often thought of as a part of aging, recent studies have shown that untreated hearing loss can have a significant impact on your overall health. Mayo Clinic ENT specialist Dr. Nicholas Deep explains how untreated hearing loss can affect your cognitive, social and physical health.
“We used to think of hearing loss as something separate from overall health, a normal part of aging — something that everyone experiences and it’s not a big deal. But we’re now finding that untreated hearing loss can actually have a negative impact on other health issues,” says Dr Deep.
When hearing loss becomes severe, the brain has to work longer to interpret unclear messages, draining brain power and leaving less cognitive reserve for thinking, memory and other higher brain functions.
Deep says patients become frustrated by their inability to communicate. They may become socially withdrawn, become less active, and lose touch with friends and family. This can lead to loneliness, social isolation, and depression, all of which are independent risk factors for cognitive decline.
The social isolation that comes with untreated hearing loss can affect a person’s mind as well as their body.
“Older adults are spending more time at home and are beginning to become less physically active. As a result, their sense of balance is declining. This increases the risk of falls, which is a major problem for older adults. So it’s no wonder that untreated hearing loss is a contributing factor to a higher risk of falls, hospitalization, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even death,” says Dr. Deep.
Treating hearing loss with various solutions such as hearing aids and cochlear implants can reduce all these risks and improve your quality of life.
2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Source: Untreated hearing loss may have negative health consequences (August 16, 2024) Retrieved August 16, 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-untreated-loss-result-negative-health.html
This document is subject to copyright. It may not be reproduced without written permission, except for fair dealing for the purposes of personal study or research. The content is provided for informational purposes only.