Hearing loss – it’s usually thought to be a given as we get older. Lots of older Americans have some form of hearing loss or tinnitus, which is a continuous ringing in the ears. But for such an accepted problem lots of people still won’t admit they have hearing loss.
A new study from Canada says that hearing loss is experienced by over 50 percent of Canadians, but that 77% of those people do not document any concerns. Some form of hearing loss is experienced by over 48 million Americans and untreated. If this denial is on purpose or not is debatable, but it’s still true that a significant number of people allow their loss of hearing to go unchecked – which, later on, could cause considerable issues.
Why is Loss of Hearing Not Recognized by Some people?
That matter is a complicated one. Loss of hearing is a gradual process, and some people might not recognize that they are having a harder time hearing things or comprehending people than they once did. Or, more frequently, they could blame it on something else – the person they’re speaking to is mumbling, the TV volume is too low, or there’s too much background noise. There are, unfortunately, numerous things that hearing loss can be blamed on, and people’s first reaction is not usually going to be to get checked out or get a hearing test.
It also happens that some people just won’t admit that they have hearing loss. Another study conducted in the United States shows that many seniors who have hearing issues flat out deny it. They do what they can to mask their issue, either because they don’t want to admit to having a problem or because of perceived stigmas attached to hearing loss.
The problem is, you could be negatively impacting your overall health by ignoring your hearing loss.
There Can be Extreme Repercussions From Neglected Hearing Loss
Hearing loss does not only impact your ears – heart disease and high blood pressure have also been linked to hearing loss along with anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.
Research has demonstrated that people who have treated their loss of hearing using cognitive therapy, changes of diet and hearing aids have better all-around health and longer life expectancy.
It’s necessary to acknowledge the indications of hearing loss – persistent ringing or humming in the ears, trouble having conversations, needing to crank up the volume of your radio or TV.
How Can You Treat Hearing Loss?
There are several treatment methods you can undertake to get your hearing loss under control. Hearing aids are the type of treatment that is the most common, and hearing aid technology has grown leaps and bounds over the past few years so it’s unlikely you’ll encounter the same issues your grandparents or parents did. Hearing aids now have the ability to filter out background noise and wind, while also wirelessly connecting to devices like your radio, TV, or tablet.
A dietary changes may also have a healthy impact on the health of your hearing if you have anemia. Since anemia iron deficiency has been revealed to cause hearing loss, people who suffer from tinnitus can be helped by eating foods that are high in iron.
The most essential thing you can do, though, is to get your hearing checked routinely.
Do you think that might have loss of hearing? Schedule an appointment to have a hearing assessment.