Signs of
Hearing Loss
Although approximately 48 million Americans have hearing loss, it is still a widely misunderstood topic. Many people believe hearing loss to be the complete absence of sound. However, those with hearing loss can hear, they just often lack clarity or miss parts of speech. If you suspect you or a loved one has hearing loss, here are symptoms to look out for.
- Sounds seem muffled
- You frequently ask people to repeat themselves
- High pitched sounds are harder to hear (women and children’s voices)
- It’s difficult to hear in background noise
- You feel tired after conversations
- You hear a ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
Hearing and
Brain Health
Hearing is connected to more than you may think. Hearing health plays a major role in overall health and well-being. When left untreated, hearing loss can have a negative impact on your mental health, speech comprehension, and cognitive abilities. Brain health in particular relies on hearing to receive the proper auditory signals to make meaning of the sounds we hear around us.
To maintain good overall health, it’s important to schedule yearly exams with your physician and to have your hearing checked on a regular basis. Catching the signs of hearing loss early will help you remain healthy overall and maintain relationships with your loved ones.
Comorbidities Associated
with Hearing Loss
Although the most common cause of hearing loss is age, there are other factors that can impact your hearing. Health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and high blood pressure can also negatively affect your hearing. Each of these conditions affects blood flow or swelling of the blood vessels. Because the inner ear is so sensitive to changes, these conditions can cause damage to hearing ability. If you have heart disease, diabetes, or kidney disease it’s important to have your hearing screened on an annual basis to catch any changes in hearing ability early.
There are other factors that our hearing relies on to stay healthy. Additional causes of hearing loss include:
- Ototoxicity
- Loud noise exposure
- Genetics
- Ear infections
- Meniere’s disease
When left untreated, hearing loss can affect many aspects of your health and overall well-being. Hearing loss can lead to:
- Depression
- Social isolation
- Cognitive decline
- Increase in falls
To maintain good health, it’s important to take care of your hearing. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Tinnitus
