Untreated hearing loss can affect your life in ways that you may not have even thought about. Research has shown that it can lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression, particularly among seniors.
Let’s examine why untreated hearing loss affects mental health, as well as what can be done to help.
Aging and Hearing Loss
One of the reasons that seniors may be at a higher risk of mental issues associated with hearing loss is that hearing problems become more likely the older you get. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) states that “approximately one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing.”
A study published in The Gerontologist in April 2020 looked at data from 35 previous studies of patients who were 60 years or older. They found that older adults with some form of hearing loss were 47% more likely to exhibit symptoms of depression.
Reasons Why Hearing Loss Can Affect Mental Health
One of the biggest reasons hearing loss can negatively affect mental health is that it makes it harder to connect with others. Speech can sound muffled, and you may struggle to make sense of what friends or family members are saying when you’re spending time together at one of Austin’s many popular restaurants like Acre 41. This can cause you to feel lonely, even when you’re in a group of people.
Eventually, many seniors may start to feel like it’s too frustrating and mentally exhausting to be in social situations and start to isolate themselves. Isolation can put a strain on relationships and increase feelings of depression and anxiety.
However, isolation isn’t the only way that hearing loss can affect your mental health. Other possible issues include:
- Feeling shame or embarrassment at not being able to understand what someone is saying.
- Feeling anxious about missing important information at work or not being able to hear rings or alarms.
- Increased feelings of disorientation, especially in busy, crowded areas. This can feel unsettling and heighten anxiety.
- Hearing loss can also increase your risk of balance issues. This can cause you to become less physically active, which in turn can negatively affect your mental health as well.
What To Do
If you are over 50 or have signs of hearing loss, schedule an appointment for a hearing test. A qualified specialist can use the results to determine if you have hearing loss, what’s causing it and how severe it is. From there, they will develop a treatment plan that usually involves hearing aids. They can help make it easier to socialize and stay connected to your friends, loved ones and your community.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call River ENT today.
