Hearing loss – it’s normally considered a given as we age. Hearing loss is experienced by lots of older Americans and so is tinnitus or a ringing in the ears. But for such an accepted affliction lots of people still deny they have hearing loss.
A new study from Canada suggests that more than half of all Canadians middle-aged and older have some kind of hearing loss, but no concerns were reported at all by over 77% percent of those. In the United States, over 48 million individuals have some type of hearing loss, but many do not try to deal with it. It’s up for debate whether this denial is deliberate or not, but either way, hearing loss is ignored by a significant number of people – which could bring about substantial problems later on in life.
Why is Loss of Hearing Not Recognized by Some people?
That question is a complex one. It’s a gradual process when a person loses their hearing, and problems understanding people and hearing things go unnoticed. Or, more commonly, they could blame it on something else – they believe everyone is mumbling, volumes aren’t turned up loud enough, or there’s too much background interference. There are, unfortunately, numerous things that hearing loss can be blamed on, and people’s first reaction is not usually going to be to get examined or get a hearing test.
It also happens that some people just won’t admit that they suffer from hearing loss. Another study conducted in the United States shows that many seniors simply refuse to admit that they are suffering from a hearing problem. They mask their problem in any way they can, either they recognize a stigma surrounding hearing loss or because they don’t like to admit to having an issue.
The concern with both of these situations is that by rejecting or not noticing you have a hearing problem you could actually be negatively affecting your overall health.
There Can be Extreme Repercussions From Neglected Hearing Loss
Hearing loss does not just impact your ears – heart disease and high blood pressure have also been associated with hearing loss and also anxiety, depression, and mental decline.
Research has shown that people who have treated their hearing loss using cognitive therapy, changes of diet and hearing aids have better general health and longer life expectancy.
It’s important to acknowledge the indications of hearing loss – chronic ringing or humming in the ears, trouble having conversations, needing to crank up the volume of your TV or radio.
What Can You Do to Manage Hearing Loss?
There are several treatment options you can undertake to get your loss of hearing under control. Hearing aids are the most prevalent form of treatment, and you won’t have the same types of problems that your parents or grandparents did because hearing aid technology has advanced appreciably. Modern hearing aids have Bluetooth functionality 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 affect the health of your hearing if you have anemia. Consuming more foods that are high in iron has been found to help people combat tinnitus and hearing loss since iron deficiency anemia has been revealed to lead to loss of hearing.
Getting your hearing checked routinely, however, is the most important thing you can do.
Do you suspect that you’re suffering from hearing loss? Schedule an appointment for a hearing examination.
