The Connection Between Hearing Loss And Overall Physical Health

If you suspect that you have hearing loss, the first symptoms you experience might not seem like a reason for worrying. After all, you can simply increase your TV’s volume or ask a person to repeat what they’ve just said. However, over time, hearing loss can begin to have a profound impact on your life and overall health, from physical issues to your mental wellbeing. Because of this, it is crucial to consult a specialized audiologist as soon as you notice the first telltale signs that you have hearing loss.

Accelerated Cognitive Decline

One of the reasons why hearing loss might cause accelerated cognitive decline is that this condition will “overload” the brain. Indeed, your brain will be under excessive stress to understand speech and sound and will take power away from other essential functions, such as memory and reasoning. You might begin to suffer from memory and reasoning loss if these functions are not being used and trained.

Wearing hearing aids can help your brain re-established a good balance and ensure that all functions work efficiently.

Greater Risk of Cognitive Issues

Dementia is a degenerative disease that causes the loss of brain function over time. In advanced stages, dementia can lead to memory loss, loss of reasoning and judgment, personality changes and inability to control your emotions.

Hearing loss can increase your risk of developing dementia. This is because, when you can’t hear speech and sound properly, your brain will work hard to fill in the gaps. Choosing to invest in hearing aids can help you return to hearing properly and help you avoid severe complications such as dementia and other cognitive diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease.

Loss of Balance and Increased Risk of Falls

Hearing loss is caused by traumatic or aging-related damage to the hair-like cells in the inner ear. When these cells are damaged, they might no longer be able to help you control balance and coordination. As your hearing loss progresses, your body begins to compensate for this gap by using signals from the eyes and the joints to navigate the surrounding space. This can make you more prone to suffering from dizziness, headaches and vertigo. In severe cases, hearing loss can increase your risk of injuries and falls (especially in older adults).

Social Withdrawal and Isolation

The inability to follow conversations along and understand others as they are talking to you can make participating in social situations undesirable. In turn, hearing loss can lead to social withdrawal, isolation and feelings of loneliness. This side effect is accentuated among older adults, but it can affect people of any age.

Inhibited Physical Activity

If your declining hearing capabilities are causing you to struggle with balance and coordination, you might no longer be able to perform the sports and activities you’ve always loved. Beyond causing isolation, this side effect can expose you to the risk of sedentary life, which includes obesity and diabetes as well as cardiovascular and musculoskeletal conditions.

To avoid the drastic impact that hearing loss can have on your physical health, consider working with an audiologist to obtain custom-made hearing aids. Something so simple can help you return to enjoying walks, playing sports, socializing or even engaging in activities such as gardening.

Impacted Work-Life and Career Progression

No matter at what age you develop hearing loss, declining hearing functions can drastically impact your work life. Indeed, hearing loss can lead to poorer communication skills, an inability to understand colleagues and difficulty interacting with clients and suppliers. Over time, you might begin to notice that the job and career opportunities open to you are limited. This can also lead to financial instability and loss of income.

Reduced Self-Esteem and Confidence

As your hearing begins to decline, you might begin to withdraw from social interaction, events, sports and activities. These effects, when combined, can cause you to limit your skills and prevent you from joining your friends and family in making new experiences. Over time, this can affect your self-esteem and confidence, leading to further withdrawal. To prevent this downward spiral, it is crucial to address the symptoms of hearing loss as soon as they emerge.

As you have seen, hearing loss can profoundly impact every aspect of your life, from social relationships to productivity and personal finances. Fortunately, thanks to today’s advances in technology, you don’t have to live by constraints!

At Peninsula Hearing, we can help you restore your hearing health and return to enjoying your life to the fullest. Call us at 360-697-3061 (Poulsbo) or 360-379-5458 (Port Townsend) to book your initial consultation and learn more.