Hearing Aids can help lessen the negative effects of the prevalent condition of hearing loss. Still, a lot of hearing loss goes undiagnosed and neglected – and that can result in greater depression rates and feelings of solitude in those who suffer from hearing loss.
And it can quickly become a vicious circle where isolation and depression from hearing loss bring about a breakdown in personal and work relationship causing even worse depression and solitude. This is a problem that doesn’t need to happen, and getting that hearing loss treated is the key to ending the downward spiral.
Hearing Loss Has Been Linked to Depression by Many Studies
Researchers have found in numerous studies that untreated hearing loss is linked to the development of depressive symptoms – and this isn’t a new phenomenon. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and paranoia were, according to one study, more likely to affect individuals over the age of 50 who have untreated hearing loss. They were also more likely to refrain from social experiences. Many stated that they felt as if people were getting frustrated with them for no apparent reason. However, those who got hearing aids reported improvements in their relationships, and the people around them – friends, co-workers, and family – also noticed improvements.
Another study discovered that individuals between the ages of 18 and 70, reported a more acute sense of depression if they suffered from hearing loss of greater than 25 dB. Individuals over the age of 70 with a self-reported hearing loss didn’t show a major contrast in depression rates in comparison to individuals who didn’t suffer from hearing loss. But that still indicates that a large part of the population is not getting the assistance they need to better their lives. And people who participated in a different study revealed that those participants who managed their hearing loss using hearing aids had a lower rate of depression.
Mental Health is Impacted by Resistance to Using Hearing Aids
With documented results like those, you might imagine that people would need to deal with their hearing loss. But people don’t get help for two principal reasons. First, some people simply don’t think their hearing is that impaired. They have themselves convinced that others are mumbling or even that they are talking softly on purpose. The other factor is that some people may not recognize that they have a hearing impairment. To them, it seems as if other people don’t want to talk to them.
If you are somebody who regularly thinks people are speaking quietly or mumbling and it’s causing you to feel anxiety or even depression, it’s time for a hearing exam. If there is hearing loss, that person needs to discuss which hearing aid is right for them. You could possibly feel a lot better if you consult a hearing specialist.