The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss

Your sense of hearing is one that is often taken for granted. A person’s hearing is a sense that isn’t given much thought, certainly not as much as the sense of vision. We live in a world that is visually stimulating and, in that sense, overwhelmingly so. People with hearing loss will often delay a decision to have their hearing tested or to even get help when facing hearing loss. Sometimes it is because they are unaware that receiving treatment early is the best possible route they could go. 

The purchase of a hearing aid is usually spurred on by the loss of hearing which is an obvious correlation; however, an even higher number of people buy one because of the feedback from their friends and family. 

Leaving hearing loss untreated

Research by the National Council on the Aging surveyed 2,000 people with hearing loss and also interviewed their close friends or loved ones. Those who had treated their hearing loss showed a lot of improvements on many different levels. These improvements were seen in their social life, emotional and psychological states as well as their overall well-being. In terms of treating hearing loss, the use of a hearing aid was the most effective.  

Hearing loss can be associated with emotions that cause discomfort including tension resulting from the inability to understand what is being said. The tension can lead to stress in your personal life and relationships. Hearing loss can also cause fatigue or embarrassment for those experiencing the condition. Fatigue is all the more common if you’re struggling to hear what is going on or what is being said. Hearing loss can also affect how we interact in social settings and impact our confidence or self-esteem. The result can often be a withdrawal from social situations altogether. 

If you’re still a working professional, hearing loss can impact your job or your ability to work effectively. In this way, you can define hearing loss as not only a physical problem or health concern, but also a problem that worsens your quality of life. When left untreated, hearing loss has several serious consequences and impacts on your life.  

Hearing loss and your mental health

Hearing loss is also associated with a loss of cognitive function. According to some studies, psychological disorders increase once an individual experiences hearing loss. As you can see, a large part of our mental wellbeing is tied to the ability to hear (not only to be able to hear, but to hear well). The link between hearing loss and cognition is not readily understood and researchers are still seeking answers. What is known is that treatment, including hearing aids, can offer a lot of support to someone who is impacted by hearing loss. Thus, as you can see, hearing loss has profound impacts on those who are suffering from the condition. Therefore, if you experience even the smallest signs of hearing loss, do not delay your treatment.