Investing some time and effort in taking care of your hearing health is quintessential. Just like you visit your dentist, ophthalmologist and general physician, visiting an audiologist hold equal prominence. Your hearing health is not something to ignore. According to a study by the Public Hearing Institute, hearing impairment affects one out of five people over the age of 60! Cutting across age, gender, economic strata and location – hearing loss is a highly unnoticed and unaddressed medical condition. But it shouldn’t be so!
Untreated hearing loss can have major impact on your life. With a declining hearing, you strain yourself for hearing conversations. As a result, you miss out on information. This makes your life all the more stressful and challenging.
It’s more than just hearing!
Progressive hearing loss is linked with a variety of serious medical conditions such as:
- Heart and cardiovascular disease
Impaired cardiovascular health can have severe negative effects on one’s hearing by damaging both the Central and peripheral auditory systems.
Multiple studies have found the hearing loss to be about twice as common in adults with diabetes.
- Dementia, cognitive function and Alzheimer’s disease
Studies have found that elderly people with hearing impairment are more likely to develop health conditions such as dementia. Loss of hearing is also associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline.
Hearing impairment can lead to isolation and other emotional conditions like stress, anxiety and depression that can affect the quality of life as well as mental health.
Research has shown that people with moderate chronic kidney disease tend to have a higher prevalence of hearing loss.
The good news? Hearing loss is treatable!
Whether it is an underlying cause or an alarming symptom, hearing impairment is often treatable through proper treatment. Similar to vision and dental care, a regular hearing check will help you track and deal with related serious medical conditions associated with hearing loss. You can visit an audiologist to find out whether modern hearing instruments can help you regain clearer and natural hearing to help you stay engaged with the world around you.
A hearing healthcare professional checks your hearing to determine a treatment plan that is best suited for you. Take care of your hearing health just as you would take care of the rest of your health. Do you sense symptoms of hearing loss? Take the first step and consult an audiologist today!