Loss of hearing – it’s normally thought os as a given as we get older. Many older Americans suffer from some type of hearing loss or tinnitus, which is a constant ringing in the ears. But for such an accepted affliction many people still won’t admit they have hearing loss.
A new study from Canada reports that hearing loss is experienced by over 50 percent of Canadians, but that 77% of those individuals don’t report any problems. In the United States, more than 48 million people have some kind of hearing loss, but many do not attempt to deal with it. If this denial is on purpose or not is debatable, but the fact remains that a significant number of individuals allow their loss of hearing to go unchecked – which could bring about significant problems later on in life.
Why do Some Individuals Not Know They Have Loss of Hearing?
It’s a complex matter. Loss of hearing is a gradual process, and difficulty understanding people and hearing things go undetected. Many times they blame everybody else around them – they believe everyone is mumbling, the TV volume is too low, or there’s too much background noise. There are, unfortunately, quite a few things that hearing loss can be blamed on, and people’s first instinct is not usually going to be to get examined or get a hearing test.
On the other hand, there might be some people who know they’re suffering from hearing loss but refuse to accept it. Another study conducted in the United States shows that many seniors who suffer from hearing problems flat out deny it. They hide their issue however they can, either because they don’t want to acknowledge a problem or because of perceived stigmas surrounding hearing loss.
The difficulty is, you could be negatively impacting your general health by ignoring your hearing loss.
Untreated Hearing Loss Can Have a Debilitating Affect
It’s not just your ears that are affected by loss of hearing – it has been connected to different ailments like anxiety, cognitive decline, and depression, and it can also be a sign of high blood pressure and heart disease.
Research has revealed that people suffering from loss of hearing generally have shorter life expectancy rates and their general health is not as good as people who have dealt with their hearing loss with hearing aids, dietary changes, or cognitive behavioral therapy.
It’s important to recognize the indications of hearing loss – problems carrying on conversations, turning up the volume on the TV and radio, or a lingering humming or ringing in your ears.
How Can You Manage Hearing Loss?
There are a number of treatment options you can undertake to get your loss of hearing under control. Hearing aids are the form of treatment that is the most prevalent, and hearing aid tech has developed by leaps and bounds over the last several years so it’s unlikely you’ll have the same issues your parents or grandparents did. Modern hearing aids have Bluetooth connectivity 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 impact your hearing health if you suffer from anemia. Since anemia iron deficiency has been shown to cause loss of hearing, people who suffer from tinnitus can be helped by consuming foods that are rich in iron.
The most essential thing you can do, however, is to have your hearing assessed regularly.
Do you think that you’re suffering from loss of hearing? Come in and get screened.