{"id":2229,"date":"2023-03-02T13:16:50","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T19:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/river-ent.com\/?p=2229"},"modified":"2023-03-02T13:16:58","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T19:16:58","slug":"is-there-a-link-between-untreated-hearing-loss-and-mental-health-in-older-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/river-ent.com\/is-there-a-link-between-untreated-hearing-loss-and-mental-health-in-older-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"Is There a Link Between Untreated Hearing Loss and Mental Health in Older Adults?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Untreated hearing loss<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s examine why untreated hearing loss affects mental health, as well as what can be done to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aging and Hearing Loss <\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Senior<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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 \u201capproximately one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss<\/a> and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study published in The Gerontologist<\/em> 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.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reasons Why Hearing Loss Can Affect Mental Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019re spending time together at one of Austin\u2019s many popular restaurants like Acre 41. This can cause you to feel lonely, even when you\u2019re in a group of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, many seniors may start to feel like it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, isolation isn\u2019t the only way that hearing loss can affect your mental health. Other possible issues include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n