Hearing loss is a common condition that can be mitigated easily by using hearing aids and assistive listening devices. However, hearing loss often goes undiagnosed and untreated. For people with hearing loss, this can bring about feelings of social-separation and depression.
It can also cause a breakdown in personal and work relationships, which itself contributes to more feelings of depression and solitude. The solution to ending that downward spiral is getting treatment for your hearing loss.
Hearing loss and its link to depression
We’ve known that hearing loss can lead to feelings of separation and depression for a long time now. Adults older than 50 with untreated hearing loss frequently report feelings of depression and anxiety, according to one study. They were also more likely to steer clear of social activities. Many said that they felt like people were getting angry at them for no reason. But when those individuals got hearing aids, they reported improvements in their social condition, and others in their life also noticed the difference.
For individuals with hearing loss of higher than 25 decibels, who were between 18 and 70 years old, depression was more prevalent. Individuals over 70 with self-reported hearing loss didn’t show a major difference in depression rates compared to individuals without hearing loss. But there are still a great many people who need assistance and aren’t receiving it.
Mental health can be affected by refusal to wear hearing aids or to lack of awareness
It seems like it would be clear that you should treat your hearing loss when you read reports like this. Maybe you think your hearing is okay. You might think people aren’t speaking clearly.
You may just think it costs too much.
It’s imperative that anybody who has dealt with symptoms of anxiety and depression, or the sense that they are being left out of conversations because people seem to be talking too quietly or mumbling a lot, have their hearing assessed. We can talk about your options if we do find hearing loss. It could help you feel much better.