What Happens if You Don’t Treat Hearing Loss?

Now that many of us are spending more time in public again, you may have found that you are having to ask people to repeat themselves more often than not. Do you struggle to hear in crowds? It’s all too common to ignore or avoid addressing these behaviors despite the fact that they are early signs of hearing loss.

Don’t Only Old People Get Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss affects one in eight people in the US alone, making it likely that you or someone you know could be affected. After a lifetime of wear and tear on the ears, age-related hearing loss is the most common type in the US, affecting one-third of people over age 65, and half of those over 75. However, people of all ages suffer from hearing loss. There are many factors, including head trauma and exposure to ototoxic chemicals, which contribute to a growing younger generation who suffer from hearing loss; however, the most common factor is exposure to loud noise. A rock concert, proximity to a firework, or even yard work can cause hearing damage, but the biggest culprit in injuring the ears of younger people is increased use of headphones. As the decibel level rises the amount of time it takes the ears to incur noise-related damage decreases. Personal listening devices are a perfect combination of dangerous levels and extended listening times.

Knowing the Signs

The issue is that many times people don’t even know they have hearing loss. It comes on slowly and most often becomes worse. Over years, you may not notice that sounds you used to hear have slipped away. However, just because you don’t realize there is an issue does it negate the problem. Maybe you are guilty of having to ask people to repeat themselves? Do others complain about the volume of the TV or stereo when it seems normal to you? It's easy to explain or reason these things into other factors, but the sooner you address a hearing loss the better.

Hearing Loss’ Impact on Relationships

Compromised hearing affects communication. This is communication at work, recreationally with friends, and at home with your family. When you have to constantly ask people to repeat themselves it may seem harmless at first, but after a while it is exhausting. It is all too common to pretend to understand what someone is saying, rather than stop the conversation to ask them to repeat themselves again. This can make it all too easy for you to miss important details at work or seem detached or disinterested in the conversation. In a professional setting, co-workers and employers will often start to notice and take it as a lack of ability to complete your job. At home it may impact intimacy, driving a wedge in the quality of the relationships that really matter.

The Emotional Impact

This impact on relationships professionally and personally starts to erode self-esteem. A sense of well-being and quality of life all start to decline in individuals when their closest relationships suffer. Over time people become much less likely to put themselves in social situations and favor staying home. This can begin a cycle of self-isolation, and loneliness. Chronic depression anxiety and sleep issues are all too common when hearing loss goes ignored.

The Physical Impact

Loneliness has been equated with as much risk to life expectancy as smoking 15 cigarettes daily. When someone is depressed, they are much less likely to take care of themselves, eat a healthy diet and stay active. In addition, hearing loss is often equated with a higher likelihood of accidents and falls which lead to hospitalization. This is in part because untreated hearing loss makes people less aware of their surroundings.

Addressing Your Hearing Loss

The first step is admitting you have a problem. It’s important to screen for hearing loss each year to monitor decline. Once you have the results of a hearing test then we can help you make healthy decisions around the best treatment options. While most forms of hearing loss are permanent, hearing aids can amplify the sounds you struggle with, so you can hear more clearly again. The longer you wait, the worse conditions get so pay attention to the signs and schedule a hearing loss at the earliest sign that you have a problem. The sooner the better, so call today!