Here are some of the unseen health consequences of leaving hearing loss untreated. You may be experiencing them right now and not realise that they’re related to the health of your ears.
What sort of problems can untreated hearing loss lead to?
Hearing loss causes many people to withdraw from relationships and social activities, and social isolation can lead to a host of very real health problems, including depression and anxiety, and even heart disease
and now studies (Johns Hopkins) have found a causative link between (even mild) hearing loss and dementia.
How is hearing loss linked to dementia?
Studies show hearing loss leads to dementia in several ways:
- Social isolation has been linked to dementia, so that’s that’s a big part of it;
- And the increased cognitive load and the mental drain of listening during conversation and everyday life has been shown to weaken our working memory.
Brain scans published in 2014 (Dr Frank Lin) showed diminished grey matter in areas related to language and memory – the same region associated with early Alzheimer’s, in people with hearing loss.
Is it possible that someone with untreated hearing loss could be misdiagnosed as having dementia?
Hearing loss can look like a loss of mental sharpness, and older people with hearing loss appearing disengaged or confused are at times misdiagnosed with cognitive illness — especially in an aged care setting where staff aren’t trained to spot or diagnose hearing problems.
It’s easy to see how this can happen, when common dementia screening tests depend on a patient’s ability to hear, and the screening tests are often undertaken when the person isn’t aware.
Further, hearing loss can lead to depression, which often goes hand in hand with dementia.
What other health issues can arise if we leave hearing loss untreated?
Studies (Johns Hopkins) show that if hearing loss is not corrected with the appropriate solution, a more subtle effect occurs as your brain adapts to hearing loss – the mental processing of spoken language is degraded slowly over time.
Luckily, much of the adaptation in the brain is reversible with the right hearing solution, but it does take longer the longer you put off treatment.
Knowing what we do about the secondary problems associated with hearing loss, why do some doctors advise patients to wait until things get worse before using hearing aids?
Hearing is one of those things that is often overlooked in health. I think there is an overall lack of awareness and understanding
Solutions didn’t used to be nearly as good as they are so a lot of doctors don’t think it is ‘worth it’
Which is a worry because studies have shown that the views of our health practitioners go a long way in determining if we will actually wear and be satisfied with hearing aids
We need more readily available options for obtaining hearing care.
If you definitely feel that your hearing is getting in the way of you ability to listen and communicate, it’s substantial enough to warrant hearing aids.
What can you do to reduce your risk of hearing related side effects?
If you’ve noticed you’re not hearing as well as you once did, have your hearing evaluated and start using hearing aids as soon as a need is identified;
Effective use of high quality hearing aids will take the strain out of listening and help you enjoy your life again.