8 Reasons to Treat Your Hearing Loss Now

September 17, 2019

Almost 50 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, and yet only 20% of them will get the problem treated. Even more concerning is the fact that the average person waits seven years to get their hearing loss treated.

This is unfortunate because, as well as missing out on the functioning one of your major senses, you are also putting yourself at risk of further illness. Hearing loss causes an imbalance that can affect every aspect of your life.

With modern hearing aids being both discreet and affordable, there's really no excuse for delaying. That said, let’s look at the main reasons why you should get your hearing loss treated sooner rather than later.

Protect Your Mental Health

Hearing loss can lead to a variety of mental health issues ranging from depression to dementia. The longer a person suffers from hearing issues, the more likely they are to endure mental health difficulties which is why the seven-year delay on treatment is so troubling. Getting treated for hearing loss is shown to improve self-esteem by helping the patient reconnect with society. For some patients, getting a hearing aid will stave off the anger, paranoia, and anxiety that often accompanies not being able to hear.

Perform Tasks More Easily

Hearing loss is debilitating, as such it makes people avoid scenarios where they think their hearing will be needed. At work, as in everyday life, this means a decline in both productivity and participation. The damaging effect on your professional career could be severe.

60 percent of the people who suffer from hearing loss are still in regular employment. If they do not make it clear to their employers that they have a disability, while also refusing to get the problem treated medically, they are setting themselves up for a miserable work life. Let your co-workers know immediately. If you are retired and suffer from hearing loss, you should not let it affect your social activity.

Enjoy Your Social Life

When it comes to enjoying your social life, hearing loss has been shown to be a major obstacle. Dr. Kochkin of the Better Hearing Institute, claims that hearing loss causes people to avoid social situations for fear of being misunderstood, or stigmatized. His study found that people who treated their hearing loss were more likely to have an active social life than those who didn’t.

Stay Active

Any kind of team sport or group fitness activity usually requires a good sense of hearing. You will be in a loud or noisy environment, you may have several people trying to shout over one another. Without a hearing aid, this activity becomes almost untenable for the sufferer of hearing loss. On the other hand, if you are treated you can participate fully in every kind of physical and sporting activity. The importance of regular physical activity towards your well-being is well documented, but it becomes increasingly important for people with hearing loss

Maintain Your Ability To Communicate

Failing to treat hearing loss is a gradual problem, most people do not become deaf overnight. As hearing loss worsens, a person starts to pretend they are following a conversation when in fact they are not. In the long run, they lose their ability to communicate properly. Communicating is crucial on both a practical and an emotional level so it's important that hearing loss doesn't destroy this ability.

Stay Happy in Your Personal Relationships

Going back to Dr. Kochkin’s study, the findings also reported a loss of “warmth” in sufferers' personal relationships. Possibly as a result of the frustration and isolation that comes along with hearing loss, people struggle to stay happy in their personal relationships. It was noted that patients with hearing loss are more likely to create angry confrontations as they struggle with their illness. The feeling of being disabled makes them feel like a burden to their loved ones.

Protect Your Physical Health

Dealing with your hearing loss issues can decrease the risk of physical health issues as well as mental health issues. As we noted above, hearing loss is also known to cause dementia. Some studies claim that hearing loss almost doubles a person's chances of getting a mental disease. Physiologically, untreated hearing loss has also been linked to cardiovascular and kidney disease, an increased risk of falls, and diabetes. As you can see, the issue of hearing loss is about more than just a person’s ears.

Maintain Cognitive Ability

A Columbia University Medical Center study recently found that hearing aid use is associated with improved cognitive function in hearing-impaired elderly. The study concluded that older adults who wore hearing aids performed markedly better on the set of cognitive tests than people who did not wear a hearing aid. The researchers also found a correlation between hearing ability and overall cognitive function in patients who were not suffering from hearing loss.

The Results are In...

The results are in and they are pretty conclusive, if you are suffering from hearing loss you should get it treated as soon as possible. Hearing loss affects every part of your life from your relationships with your loved ones, to your physical and mental well-being.

Allowing your hearing to deteriorate without seeing the advice of a medical professional is seriously risky behavior. The benefits of getting help through hearing aids are numerous, and in general, will likely lead to increased happiness.

If you have noticed a decline in your hearing ability go and see your doctor now. The sooner you treat your hearing troubles, the easier they will be to manage in the long run.