Loss of hearing – it’s normally considered a given as we age. Hearing loss is experienced by lots of older Americans and so is tinnitus or a ringing in the ears. But for such an accepted problem lots of people still deny they suffer from hearing loss.
A new study from Canada reveals that loss of hearing is experienced by more than 50 percent of Canadians, but no issues were reported at all by more than 77% percent of those. In the United States, more than 48 million people have some type of hearing loss, but many do not attempt to deal with it. Whether this denial is deliberate or not is debatable, but in either case, hearing loss is disregarded by a considerable number of people – which, down the road, could cause considerable problems.
Why do Some People Not Know They Suffer From Hearing Loss?
It’s a challenging question. Loss of hearing is a gradual process, and trouble understanding people and hearing things go unnoticed. A lot of times they blame everyone else around them – they think everyone is mumbling, the TV volume is too low, or background noise is too high. There are, unfortunately, quite a few things that hearing loss can be blamed on, and getting a hearing test or getting checked out, normally, is not a person’s first instinct.
On the other hand, there might be some people who know they’re suffering from hearing loss but won’t accept it. Another study conducted in the United States shows that lots of seniors who suffer from hearing issues flat out deny it. They mask their issue however they can, either they recognize a stigma surrounding hearing loss or because they don’t like to admit to having a problem.
The problem with both of these situations is that by rejecting or not noticing you have a hearing problem you could actually be negatively impacting your general health.
Neglected Hearing Loss Can Have a Catastrophic Impact
Hearing loss does not just affect your ears – heart disease and high blood pressure have also been linked to hearing loss as well as anxiety, depression, and mental decline.
Research has demonstrated that individuals who have addressed their hearing loss with cognitive therapy, diet changes and hearing aids have better overall health and longer life expectancy.
It’s crucial to recognize the indications of hearing loss – continual ringing or humming in the ears, difficulty carrying on conversations, needing to crank up the volume of your TV or radio.
What Can be Done to Address Hearing Loss?
You can control your hearing loss using a number of treatment options. Hearing aids are the most common form of treatment, and hearing aid tech has grown leaps and bounds over the last few years so it’s unlikely you’ll have the same problems your grandparents or parents did. Modern hearing aids have Bluetooth functionality so they can connect wirelessly to your smartphone or TV and they have the ability to filter out wind and background noise.
A changing your diet could impact the health of your hearing if you have anemia. Since anemia iron deficiency has been demonstrated to cause loss of hearing, people who have tinnitus can be helped by consuming foods that are rich in iron.
Getting your hearing examined routinely, however, is the most significant thing you can do.
Are you concerned you could have hearing issues? Visit us and get screened.