As we age, hearing loss is commonly thought to be an inescapable fact of life. Hearing loss is experienced by lots of older Americans and so is tinnitus or a ringing in the ears. But if a condition like this is so accepted, why is it that so many people won’t admit that they suffer from hearing loss?
A new study from Canada suggests that more than 50 percent of all Canadians middle-aged and older have some form of hearing loss, but no concerns were reported at all by more than 77% percent of those. Some type of hearing loss is impacting over 48 million Americans and untreated. Whether this denial is deliberate or not is up for debate, but either way, hearing loss is disregarded by a substantial number of individuals – which could result in substantial issues down the road.
Why is Hearing Loss Missed by Some people?
That question is a tricky one. It’s a slow process when someone loses their hearing, and trouble understanding people and hearing things go undetected. A lot of times they blame everybody else around them – the person they’re speaking to is mumbling, the TV volume is too low, or background noise is too high. There are, unfortunately, a number of things that hearing loss can be blamed on, and getting a hearing examination or getting checked out, usually, is not a person’s first reaction.
It also happens that some people just won’t accept that they suffer from hearing loss. Another study conducted in the United States shows that lots of seniors simply deny that they have a hearing issue. They hide their problem however they can, either they recognize a stigma around hearing loss or because they don’t want to admit to having an issue.
The problem with both of these scenarios is that by rejecting or not recognizing you have a hearing problem you could actually be negatively impacting your overall health.
There Can be Extreme Repercussions From Neglected Hearing Loss
It’s not only your ears that are affected by hearing loss – it has been connected to different conditions such as anxiety, cognitive decline, and depression, and it can also be a symptom of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Research has demonstrated that individuals who have managed their hearing loss using cognitive therapy, changes of diet and hearing aids have better overall health and longer life expectancy.
It’s important to identify the signs of hearing loss – difficulty carrying on conversations, turning up the volume on the TV and radio, or a lingering ringing or humming in your ears.
How Can You Treat Hearing Loss?
You can get your hearing loss under control with several treatments. Hearing aids are the form of treatment that is the most common, and hearing aid technology has grown leaps and bounds over the last several years so it’s not likely you’ll encounter the same problems your grandparents or parents did. Hearing aids can now filter out background noise and wind, while also connecting wirelessly to devices like your radio, TV, or tablet.
A dietary changes may also have a beneficial impact on the health of your hearing if you have anemia. Consuming more foods that are rich in iron has been shown to help people battle tinnitus and hearing loss since iron deficiency anemia has been demonstrated to cause hearing loss.
The most essential thing you can do, however, is to get your hearing checked regularly.
Do you think that might have hearing loss? Visit us and get screened.
