How is Hearing Loss Connected to your Psychological Health?

How are Hearing Loss and Psychological Health Connected?

Because hearing is an invisible sense, we do not tend to pay very much attention to it – until something begins to change. And usually, changes in our ears are noticeable right away. Think about times you’ve heard a ringing in the ear after being in close proximity to firecrackers, for example. Or, if there is a lot of pressure in your ear area after a cold and your hearing is muffled.

Hearing, like our other senses, is an important element of keeping us connected to the world and ensuring our safety and security. Most of all, hearing plays a big part in the formation of language, speech, and memory.

When our hearing changes, we begin to experience sound and thus, the world around us and the people in our lives, differently.

Difficulties with Speech Recognition

Hearing loss affects our ability to recognize speech and speech patterns as clearly as we once did. With normal hearing, we are able to anticipate certain words, phrases, and sounds, while our brains work at rapid-fire speed to process the stimuli.

When our speech recognition abilities are hindered, the brain must struggle to fill in the gaps. When others speak, they may sound muffled, and you may find that you are asking people to speak up. Conversations may become frustrating, as a result.

Lapsed Communication and Interactions

Because recognizing speech is a key element in clear communication, you may find that your interactions with people have become more confusing and difficult. You may find yourself misinterpreting what people are saying.

In fact, a common sign of hearing loss is withdrawing socially. Rather than having to struggle through interactions, people with untreated hearing loss tend to avoid social interactions. This inevitably leads to a sense of isolation and loneliness, thus increasing the risk of depression.

Stress, Anxiety, and other Emotions

Although hearing loss is the third most common condition in the US, there is still some taboo surrounding it. As a result, people who are struggling with their hearing tend to avoid acknowledging the issue.

By not tackling hearing loss head on, there are a number of consequences to one’s emotional health. In the workplace, with family, at social gatherings – there will be difficulty interacting with people and this may lead to frustration, embarrassment, anger, and a diminished self-confidence.

Stress and anxiety are two emotional states that become increased with untreated hearing loss.

Cognitive Burdens

From a technical standpoint, researchers have found that untreated hearing loss has the potential to increase the risk of dementia.

Our brains allow us to hear sounds. Our ears take in sound waves and translate them into neural signals that the brain recognizes as sound. With hearing loss, the sound signal is not as clear as it once was. As a result, our brains must struggle to process that sound.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins have identified that this process leads to a cognitive load that essentially tires out the brain and interferes with cognitive ability. At the same time, researchers in Japan found that treating hearing loss early on was beneficial to one’s cognitive health.

Treating Hearing Loss

If you believe you, or someone you love, are experiencing hearing loss, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible. By taking a hearing test and being fitted for hearing aids, you will find not only that your hearing will improve – but also major aspects of your life as a social being. 

You don’t have to live with untreated hearing loss.   

Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our audiologists.   

Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services – (949) 364-4361