Hearing loss can have a powerful effect on you, one that goes beyond the inability to hear things. Losing your hearing can impede day-to-day tasks and can strain relationships.
A study conducted by AARP found that quality of life is more seriously impacted by hearing loss than:
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Cancer
Despite the fact that it gets in the way of their lives, a lot of people who have hearing loss don’t seek treatment. A lot of people who have loss of hearing avoid getting help because they think that there is a stigma attached to hearing loss, according to researchers. Being treated differently is one reason people who suffer from hearing loss are hesitant to let anyone know they can’t hear very well. It doesn’t matter how old they are, this perception can change the way they see themselves.
It’s Not Only You
As lifespans grow longer, hearing loss has become more commonplace, in spite of the fact that it can impact people of all ages, The World Health Organization reports that over 1.1 billion people are at risk of hearing loss and the perceptions that come with it, many of them young adults. Hearing loss is, in fact, one of a young adult’s greatest health threats. Even as the number of people who suffer from hearing loss continues to grow, the resistance to seeking treatment for hearing loss seems to persist. How is one’s overall health affected?
How Is Hearing Loss Perceived?
A brand that labels a person as inferior is how people with hearing loss feel and that is the actual meaning of stigma. Many people with hearing loss are worried they will seem older than they are, less healthy, or less able.
Historically, there is some foundation for this concern. A 2010 study found when people have hearing loss they were not as well accepted. But that study uses data almost a decade old. This perception is changing as hearing loss becomes more commonplace. Celebrities visibly wear hearing aids and the technology is becoming more cutting edge, stylish, and fun. Research shows that some other age related health problems, such as dementia, could be slowed or even prevented by getting treatment. This is changing peoples mind about hearing loss and also their hearts. Despite this, some people still won’t get the help they really need.
What Difference Does it Make?
Don’t allow your anxiety about negative perception stop you from seeking help or you may suffer permanent health consequences. More people get colonoscopies than hearing tests according to an AARP survey. Not acknowledging your hearing loss, not getting a hearing test and seeking treatment will take a physical toll, especially over time.
Untreated Hearing Loss, What Are The Consequences?
These physical consequences of not dealing with your hearing loss will affect your overall health;
Fatigue
Everything in life is more tiresome if you are struggling to hear. It’s challenging to try to hear conversations and common sounds. You put more energy into staying safe, too, because you can’t hear that vehicle coming or someone walking up from behind you. Just working hard to hear everyday sounds can cause chronic fatigue.
Common Headaches and Migraines
Headaches and even migraines can be induced by anxiety and tension. Studies have shown a link, though you may not have recognized there was a connection, between certain forms of hearing loss and migraines. The constant extra effort by your brain to compensate for what you can’t hear can cause your head to hurt even if you don’t normally get migraines.
Mental Health
You could possibly also face mental health concerns as a consequence of your untreated loss of hearing such as depression and social anxiety. Loss of hearing can increase social isolation and has even been linked to dementia. You will have less energy and will be moodier if you have these other challenges.
It is Possible to Overcome The Negative Perception of Hearing Loss
Getting help is the step one to surmounting these negative perceptions. It is possible to treat hearing loss. Your only creating your own suffering by not seeking treatment.
There might not even be a reason to stress as not all hearing loss is permanent. common earwax buildup can cause hearing loss, but you can’t be certain unless you schedule an appointment to have your hearing checked.
Make sure you deal with it if you find out that you do have hearing loss. Nowadays you can get hearing aids in many shapes and sizes. There are devices that are less obvious if your worried about people learning you have hearing loss.
You can prove everyone wrong if you deal with your hearing loss in a confident way. You can be just as active and healthy as everyone else, so wear your hearing aids with confidence. Everyone who experiences hearing loss will also be benefited by your actions. Negative perceptions are social poisons so be strong and raise awareness to change them.
Hearing loss is not a personal weakness it’s a medical condition. So see a hearing professional for a hearing test right away.