What are 4 Side Effects with Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss has become more prevalent among people of all ages. It affects more than just your hearing abilities.

Cognitive Decline 

Hearing loss can affect your functions and the health of your brain.  Some symptoms that are generally related to aging are typically caused by hearing loss. 

When a person has hearing loss, the brain fails to acclimate to sensory changes. A person with normal hearing abilities can process sound through the inner ear, and then the sound gets interpreted by the brain. This system allows you to distinguish the differences between the music that plays in your home and music that plays from a car as it drives by your home. 

Your brain interprets sound every nanosecond. There is ambient noise everywhere, from the whir of a ceiling fan to sounds coming from an air vent. You won’t catch those sounds because your brain will automatically filter them out.        

Your brain anticipates this type of stimulus, so if you have hearing loss your brain won’t have the same quality or quantity of sound.  


Stomach and Digestive Issues

Anxiety, muscle tension, and an upset stomach have been linked to changes that are experienced due to hearing loss.

In one rare case, Crohn’s disease (a condition that causes irritation and swelling in the digestive tract) caused hearing problems and pain in a 10-year-old boy’s ear. The boy also suffered from narrow ear canals due to inflammation, pus leakage and blood discharging from the ear. 

Mental Health 

Your mental health is greatly affected by hearing loss. Depression is linked to your worsened hearing abilities. 

According to JAMA Otolaryngology Neck Surgery, depression is taken into account because those who have hearing loss, also have difficulty with effectively communicating with others. Women between the ages of 18 to 69 have a more evident form of depression. 

Hearing loss that goes untreated has been linked to:

• Anger/irritability
• An inability to concentrate
• Negativity
• Social isolation

As a result, these individuals suffer from anxiety and depression because they are unable to effectively communicate with others and then stop attempting to interact with others.

Problems with Interpersonal Relationships 

Hearing loss not only affects your mental and physical well-being, but it also affects your income. In a 2007 study that was organized by the Better Hearing Institute, those who had hearing loss made $20,000 less per year than those with healthy hearing abilities. 

The test subjects’ personal relationships also suffered. In a survey, 35 percent of those who responded had difficulty sustaining their relationships because of their hearing loss. The survey indicated the following:

• 35 percent of men disclosed that they agreed to get treatment after their spouse or partner urged them to do so.   
• 43 percent of men claimed that they had difficulty with relationships because of their hearing loss.
• 37 percent of women indicated that they were irritated when someone with hearing loss was not listening to them. 
• Most women expressed that hearing loss was a serious concern when communicating with friends and family.    

Think about how you, or a loved one, feel when it comes to hearing loss. Are relationships with friends and family affected? Do you, or does your loved one, want to build better and stronger connections with others? 

Contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids, and schedule an appointment for a free hearing test and consultation with one of our hearing instrument specialists. Start living a healthier and happier life today.

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