As we age, hearing loss is generally thought to be a fact of life. Lots of older Americans have some form of hearing loss or tinnitus, which is a persistent ringing in the ears. But if it’s such an accepted condition, why is it that so many people won’t admit that they deal with hearing loss?
A new study from Canada says that loss of hearing is experienced by over half of Canadians, but that 77% of those individuals don’t report any issues. Some type of hearing loss is impacting over 48 million Americans and untreated. It’s up for debate whether this denial is on purpose or not, but it’s still true that a significant number of people let their hearing loss go unchecked – which, later on, could result in considerable issues.
Why is Loss of Hearing Not Recognized by Some people?
That matter is a complicated one. It’s a slow process when somebody loses their hearing, and problems comprehending people and hearing things go unnoticed. Or, more frequently, they may blame it on something else – the person they’re talking to is muttering, the TV volume is too low, or there’s too much background noise. There are, unfortunately, a number of things that hearing loss can be blamed on, and having a hearing examination or getting checked out, normally, is not a person’s first instinct.
It also happens that some people just won’t acknowledge that they suffer from hearing loss. Another study conducted in the United States shows that many seniors who have hearing problems flat out deny it. They do what they can to cover up their problem, either because they don’t want to acknowledge an issue or because of perceived stigmas attached to hearing loss.
The trouble with both of these scenarios is that by denying or not noticing you have a hearing problem you could actually be negatively affecting your general health.
Neglected Hearing Loss Can Have a Devastating Affect
Loss of hearing does not just impact your ears – heart disease and high blood pressure have also been linked to hearing loss along with anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.
Research has shown that individuals who have treated their loss of hearing with cognitive therapy, diet changes and hearing aids have better overall health and longer life spans.
It’s important to recognize the signs of hearing loss – trouble carrying on conversations, turning up the volume on the TV and radio, or a lingering humming or ringing in your ears.
How do You Treat Hearing Loss?
You can get your hearing loss under control with a number of treatment options. Hearing aids are the most common type of treatment, and you won’t have the same kinds of problems that your parents or grandparents did because hearing aid technology has advanced appreciably. Modern hearing aids come with Bluetooth connectivity so they can connect wirelessly to your smartphone or TV and they have the ability to filter out wind and background noise.
A dietary changes could impact your hearing health if you suffer from anemia. Consuming more foods that are high in iron has been found to help people combat tinnitus and loss of hearing since iron deficiency anemia has been demonstrated to lead to hearing loss.
Having your hearing checked regularly, however, is the most important thing you can do.
Do you think that you’re suffering from loss of hearing? Visit us and get checked.