Hearing loss affects approximately 20% of the global population. For many people, hearing loss may seem as small as missing a word or phrase from time to time. For others, it can severely impact their ability to communicate with the world around them. Regardless of your level of hearing loss, recognizing the importance of treatment is crucial to an improved quality of life. Let’s look at a few side effects of ignoring your hearing loss and what you can do to treat it.
The Side Effects of Ignoring Hearing Loss
It takes an average of seven years from the time a patient suspects hearing loss until they seek treatment. When you’ve lived with untreated hearing loss for a while, it might seem simpler to just continue ignoring it. However, it’s important to be aware of the significant side effects that come with untreated hearing loss. These include but are not limited to:
- Emotional loneliness. Although you might not realize it at first, hearing loss can cause you to pull away socially, leading to depression and loneliness. A 2022 study found that hearing loss significantly contributed to moderate and intense levels of emotional loneliness and psychological discomfort.
- Cognitive decline. With hearing loss, the auditory center of your brain is not engaged as frequently as it once was, potentially contributing to faster atrophy. In a Johns Hopkins study tracking 639 adults for 12 years, researchers found that untreated mild hearing loss doubles the patient’s risk of developing dementia, underscoring the importance of treatment.
- Safety concerns. Whether you’re listening for honking cars or the warning shout before you’re hit with an errant ball at the Vero Beach Country Club, you rely on your hearing to keep you aware of your surroundings. When untreated hearing loss softens these alerts, your safety and well-being are at risk.
How Can Hearing Aids Help?
Hearing aids collect sound, amplify it and send it directly into your ear canal, allowing you to understand and connect with the world around you. This amplified sound can benefit you in countless ways, including:
- Better social interactions. With hearing aids, you can enjoy clearer conversations with your friends, coworkers and family without worrying about missing vital information.
- Auditory input. Hearing aids help prevent brain atrophy by providing new, amplified auditory stimuli. A study conducted in 2023 found that hearing aids reduced the risk of dementia by almost 50% over three years, underscoring the relevance of treatment.
- Safety information. Hearing aids amplify significant background noise to keep you aware and confidently independent.
Because the effects of untreated hearing loss are severe, seeking treatment before the seven-year line can have a monumentally positive impact on your quality of life. To learn more about starting hearing loss treatment, contact Aaron's Hearing Aid & Audiology Center today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.