The Psychological Impact of Undiagnosed Hearing Issues
Hearing loss often creeps up on us, quietly affecting not just our
By: admin | May 18, 2021
Noise, aging, disability and heredity are all factors that contribute to hearing loss. Conversations with friends and family can be difficult for people with hearing loss. They may also have difficulties comprehending medical advice, reacting to warnings and hearing doorbells and alarms. Ignored or untreated hearing problems may worsen. Consult your audiologist if you have a hearing problem! Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health problem in America among older people, but only 20% of those who may benefit from treatment actively seek it. Most people wait until they are unable to communicate, even in the best of listening conditions, before seeking help. Hearing aid users, on average, wait more than ten years after their initial diagnosis to receive their first pair of hearing aids. Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss affects older people. The natural breakdown of hair cells in the inner ear is the most common cause of age-related hearing loss. The sound signal enters the inner ear, but it is blocked from reaching the brain due to the breakdown of hair cells. Sensorineural hearing loss is the name for this. Age-related hearing loss can also be caused by conductive hearing loss, which affects how far sound can pass into the inner ear and is caused by age-related changes to the eardrum or middle ear bones. You may be unaware that you have age-related hearing loss because older people’s hearing loss is typically progressive. Small changes over time – turning up the TV volume, standing closer to a person who is speaking – may cause you to adjust to hearing loss without even noticing it. The loss can become so serious at some point that these adjustments are no longer effective. Your family or friends may be the first to note that you are hard of hearing.
Hearing loss may have a variety of consequences, depending on the person and the form of hearing loss they have. The most common symptom is a decreased ability to understand others, particularly in noisy environments. This can have an effect on how you communicate with your family and friends, as well as finding it difficult to learn in school or fulfill your job duties competently. Hearing loss, if left untreated, may have other detrimental social and health effects in both adults and children that extend beyond the hearing impairment itself, such as decreased quality of life and well-being. Hearing loss can cause headaches, muscle pain and a rise in stress and blood pressure. Adults with untreated hearing loss have been related to depression, fatigue, social isolation and memory loss in some studies.
Addressing and managing hearing loss is a lengthy and often difficult process, but once you’ve gotten used to it, there are several studies that show that treating hearing loss will enhance all aspects of your life. The following are some of the advantages:
Don’t wait any longer if you think you’re experiencing age-related hearing loss. To schedule a hearing test, call Arkansas Professional Hearing Care at (501) 588-0177. We will diagnose your hearing loss and assist you in finding the right hearing aids for your needs so that you can continue to enjoy life to the fullest for many more years.
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