Loss of hearing – it’s normally considered a fact of life as we age. Loss of hearing is experienced by many older Americans and so is tinnitus or a ringing in the ears. But if a condition like this is so accepted, why do so many people won’t admit that they suffer from loss of hearing?
A new study from Canada posits that over half of all Canadians middle-aged and older have some type of hearing loss, but that 77% of those individuals don’t report any problems. Some form of hearing loss is impacting over 48 million Americans and untreated. Whether this denial is on purpose or not is debatable, but it’s still true that a significant number of individuals allow their loss of hearing to go unchecked – which, later on, could bring about considerable issues.
Why is Hearing Loss Missed by Some people?
That matter is a complex one. It’s a slow process when somebody loses their ability to hear, and difficulty understanding people and hearing things go unnoticed. Many times they blame everybody else around them – they think everyone is mumbling, volumes aren’t turned up loud enough, or background noise is too high. hearing loss can be blamed, unfortunately, on a number of things, and having a hearing test or getting checked out, normally, is not a person’s first reaction.
Conversely, there may be some individuals who know they’re suffering from hearing loss but won’t accept it. Another study conducted in the United States shows that lots of seniors who suffer from hearing problems flat out deny it. They hide their issue in any way they can, either they recognize a stigma surrounding 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 noticing you have a problem hearing you could actually be negatively influencing your general health.
Neglected Hearing Loss Can Have a Debilitating Impact
It’s not only your ears that are impacted by loss of hearing – heart disease and high blood pressure have also been connected to hearing loss and also anxiety, depression, and mental decline.
Research has shown that people suffering from loss of hearing normally have shorter life expectancy rates and their level of health is not as good as others who have managed their hearing loss with hearing aids, changes in their diet, or cognitive behavioral treatment.
It’s necessary to identify the indications of hearing loss – difficulty having conversations, cranking up the volume on the radio or TV, or a lingering ringing or humming in your ears.
What Can be Done About Hearing Loss?
You can get your hearing loss under control using a number of treatment options. Hearing aids are the most common type of treatment, and hearing aid tech has developed by leaps and bounds over the last several years so it’s not likely you’ll encounter the same problems your parents or grandparents did. Modern hearing aids have Bluetooth functionality so they can connect wirelessly to your phone or TV and they are capable of filtering out background noise and wing.
A changing the way you eat could affect the health of your hearing if you suffer from anemia. Consuming more foods that are high in iron has been shown to help people combat tinnitus and hearing loss since iron deficiency anemia has been revealed to lead to hearing loss.
Getting your hearing checked regularly, however, is the most important thing you can do.
Do you think that you’re suffering from hearing loss? Come in and get checked.
