Inability to hear is not the only effect of hearing loss, it can also have a profound impact on your life. Losing your hearing can easily impede day-to-day tasks and can stress relationships.
A study conducted by AARP found that quality of life is more seriously impacted by hearing loss than:
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Obesity
Despite the fact that it has a negative impact on their lives, many people who have hearing loss refuse to seek treatment. Lots of people with loss of hearing shun getting help because they think that there is a stigma associated with hearing loss, according to researchers. People are afraid they will be treated differently if people learn they have hearing loss. It doesn’t matter how old they are, this perception can alter the way they see themselves.
Many Others Also Have Hearing Loss
As lifespans grow longer, hearing loss has become more prevalent, in spite of the fact that it can effect people of any age, The World Health Organization reports that over 1.1 billion people are at risk of hearing loss and the perceived perceptions that come with it, many of them young adults. Hearing loss is, as a matter of fact, one of a young adult’s leading health threats. Even as the number of people with hearing loss keeps growing, the resistance to getting assistance for hearing loss seems to persist. How is one’s overall health affected?
How Is Hearing Loss Viewed?
A brand that labels a person as inferior is how people with hearing loss feel and that is the actual definition of stigma. Many people with hearing loss are worried they will seem older than they actually are, less healthy, or less able.
Historically, there is some basis for this concern. A 2010 study found people were not as well accepted when they suffered from hearing loss. But the data from this research is almost a decade old. As hearing loss becomes more widespread, this perception is changing. Hearing loss technology is becoming Stylish, fun, and cutting edge. Even celebrities are visibly wearing hearing aids. Also helping to change hearts and minds, research indicates that getting treatment could delay or prevent other health concerns associated with aging like cognitive decline and dementia. Some people still won’t get help despite this research.
What Difference Does it Make?
There are health consequences for not getting treatment, so don’t permit your anxiety about negative perception stop you from getting help. An AARP survey revealed that more people agree to get colonoscopies than they do hearing tests. Not recognizing your hearing loss, not getting a hearing test and seeking treatment will take a physical toll, particularly over time.
Consequences of Undiagnosed or Untreated Hearing Loss
Your general health will be affected by these physical consequences;
Fatigue
In life, everything is harder when you are struggling to hear. You have to work more than other people to hear conversations and sounds. Because you can’t hear traffic or that person walking up behind you, you need to put more energy into staying safe also. All that extra work you put into everyday tasks will lead to chronic fatigue.
Common Headaches and Migraines
Tension and fear can lead to migraines and other types of headaches. Studies have shown a link, though you may not have realized there was a connection, between some forms of hearing loss and migraines. Your brain needs to make up for the sounds you can’t hear, so even if you’re not prone to migraines, the constant effort can make your headache.
Mental Health
As a consequence of your untreated loss of hearing, you could face mental health concerns such as depression and social anxiety. Hearing loss can lead to dementia and often results in social isolation. 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 first step to overcoming these negative perceptions. It is possible to treat hearing loss. Accept that you are the one that suffers if you won’t get that treatment.
Not all hearing loss is irreversible, either, so you could be stressing for no reason. You won’t know what the issue is unless you schedule an appointment to get a hearing exam. It could be as simple as earwax buildup.
Make sure you deal with it if you find out that you do have hearing loss. Hearing aids come in many style options nowadays. If you don’t want other people to know about your condition, then get a hearing aid that is less visible.
Most importantly, show everyone that you have lots of confidence despite your hearing loss. Wear your hearing aids and show people you are just as active, happy, and involved as anyone. Everyone who suffers from 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. Get your hearing tested today.