Tom is getting a new knee and he’s really jazzed! Hey, the things you get excited about change as you age. His knee replacement means he will experience less pain and be able to get around a lot better. So the operation is a success and Tom goes home.
But that isn’t the end of it.
The knee doesn’t heal as well as it should. Tom ends up back in the hospital with an infection and will need another surgery. It’s becoming less thrilling for Tom by the minute. As the nurses and doctors attempt to determine what took place, it becomes clear that Tom wasn’t adhering to his recovery instructions.
So here’s the thing: it isn’t that Tom didn’t want to follow those recovery instructions. The issue is that he didn’t hear them. Tom can feel a little better in the fact that he’s not alone: there’s a strong connection between hospital visits and hearing loss.
Hearing loss can result in more hospital visits
By now, you’re likely familiar with the typical drawbacks of hearing loss: you have the tendency to socially isolate yourself, causing you to become more distant from friends and family, and you raise your danger of developing cognitive decline. But there can be added, less obvious disadvantages to hearing loss, too, some of which we’re just starting to actually understand.
One of those relationships that’s becoming more apparent is that hearing loss can lead to an increase in emergency room visits. One study revealed that people with hearing loss have a 17% higher risk of needing a trip to the emergency room and a 44% higher chance of readmission later on.
What’s the connection?
There are a couple of reasons why this might be.
- Your possibility of readmission substantially increases once you’re in the hospital. But when you’re released and go home for a time but then need to go back to the hospital, readmission occurs. Complications sometimes happen that lead to this readmission. Readmission can also occur because the initial problem wasn’t correctly managed or even from a new problem.
- Neglected hearing loss can negatively affect your situational awareness. If you aren’t aware of your surroundings, you might be more likely to have a car accident or stub your toe. Of course, you could end up in the hospital because of this.
Increased risk of readmission
So why are individuals with neglected hearing loss more likely to be readmitted to the hospital? There are a couple of reasons for this:
- When your nurses and doctors give you guidelines you may not hear them very well because of your neglected hearing loss. You won’t be able to effectively do your physical therapy, for example, if you fail to hear the guidelines from your physical therapist. Whether you’re still in the hospital or at home, your recovery period could be greatly increased.
- If you can’t hear your recovery instructions, you won’t know how to care for yourself as you continue recovering at home. You have a higher chance of reinjuring yourself if you’re not even aware that you didn’t hear the instructions.
For example, let’s pretend you’ve recently had knee replacement surgery. Perhaps you’re not supposed to take a shower for three weeks but you thought your doctor said three days. Now your wound is at risk of getting a serious infection (one that could put you back at the hospital).
Keeping track of your hearing aids
At first glimpse, the solution here might seem basic: just use your hearing aids! Unfortunately, hearing loss usually develops very gradually, and people with hearing loss may not always recognize they are feeling its effects. Coming in to see us for a hearing test is the solution here.
Even after you’ve taken the measures and invested in a set of hearing aids, there’s still the chance you may lose them. Hospital trips are often quite chaotic. So the probability of losing your hearing aid is absolutely present. You will be better able to stay engaged in your care when you’re in the hospital if you know how to deal with your hearing aid.
Tips for bringing your hearing aids with you during a hospital stay
Knowing how to prepare for a hospital stay when you’re dealing with hearing loss can avert lots of headaches (and other discomfort) in the future. There are some easy things you can do:
- Be mindful of your battery power. Keep your hearing aid charged and bring spares if needed.
- Whenever you can, use your hearing aids, and keep them in their case when you’re not wearing them.
- Communicate to hospital staff about your hearing loss. Miscommunication will be less likely if they are well notified about your situation.
- In a hospital setting, you should always advocate for yourself and ask your family to advocate for you.
- Take your case with you. Having a case for your hearing aid is very important. This will make them much easier to keep track of.
The key here is to communicate with the hospital at every phase. Your doctors and nurses should be told about your hearing loss.
Hearing loss can cause health issues
So perhaps it’s time to stop thinking of hearing health and your overall wellness as two completely different things. After all your overall health can be substantially impacted by your hearing. Hearing loss is like any other health issue in that it needs to be treated right away.
You don’t have to be like Tom. Keep your hearing aids close the next time you have to go in for a hospital stay.
