As we get older, loss of hearing is typically regarded as an inescapable fact of life. Hearing loss is experienced by lots of older Americans as is tinnitus or a ringing in the ears. But for such an accepted condition lots of people still won’t admit they deal with hearing loss.
A new study from Canada posits that over half of all middle aged or older Canadians suffer from some kind of loss of hearing, but no concerns were reported at all by over 77% percent of those. In the US, over 48 million individuals have some form of hearing loss, but many do not try to do anything about it. Whether this denial is on purpose or not is up for debate, but the fact remains that a significant number of people let their hearing loss go unchecked – which could result in substantial problems down the road.
Why do Some Individuals Not Know They Suffer From Loss of Hearing?
That matter is a tricky one. It’s a gradual process when a person loses their hearing, and problems understanding people and hearing things go unnoticed. Or, more frequently, they might blame it on something else – the person they’re speaking to is mumbling, the TV volume is too low, or background noise is too high. hearing loss can be blamed, unfortunately, on quite a few things, and getting a hearing exam or getting checked out, normally, is not a person’s first reaction.
On the other hand, there might be some individuals who know they have hearing loss but refuse to admit it. Another study conducted in the United States shows that lots of seniors simply deny that they are suffering from a hearing issue. They mask their problem in any way they can, either they perceive a stigma around hearing loss or because they don’t want to admit to having a problem.
The problem with both of these situations is that by rejecting or not realizing you have a hearing problem you could actually be negatively influencing your general health.
Untreated Hearing Loss Can Have a Devastating Impact
Loss of hearing does not only affect your ears – heart disease and high blood pressure have also been linked to hearing loss along with anxiety, depression, and mental decline.
Research has revealed that people who have managed their hearing loss with cognitive therapy, changes of diet and hearing aids have better all-around health and longer life expectancy.
It’s important to identify the signs of hearing loss – continual ringing or humming in the ears, trouble having conversations, having to crank up the volume of your radio or TV.
What Can You Do to Treat Hearing Loss?
You can control your hearing loss with a number of treatment options. Hearing aids are the most common type of treatment, and you won’t have the same kinds of problems that your grandparents or parents did because hearing aid tech has advanced appreciably. Hearing aids now have the ability to filter out background noise and wind, while also connecting wirelessly to devices like your TV, tablet, or radio.
A dietary changes could also have a beneficial impact on your hearing health if you have anemia. Consuming more foods that are high in iron has been found to help people deal with tinnitus and loss of hearing since iron deficiency anemia has been revealed to cause hearing loss.
The most important thing you can do, however, is to have your hearing examined regularly.
Are you concerned you may have hearing problems? Visit us and get screened.