3 Ways Ignoring Hearing Loss can Effect your Quality of Life.
Some say ignorance is bliss, but we completely disagree. Like many medical conditions, ignoring the symptoms never makes the problem go away, but usually causes more problems in the future. This is true with hearing loss. The sooner you deal with your hearing loss problems, the sooner you put a stop to the negative effects that often come along with hearing loss.
Untreated hearing loss can begin to affect people’s quality of life by causing social isolation, anxiety and depression, and cognitive decline.
Social Isolation
As humans, we are born to communicate and socialize with others. However, if you have experienced hearing loss you know that this area of your life can become difficult. If you have difficulty communicating with others it makes you want to isolate yourself and withdraw from social activities. Also, not being able to hear correctly it can affect your ability to do activities you once loved.
Your impaired hearing may also lead to less job or educational opportunities, which can lead to people feeling discouraged and isolated.
Communicating is essential to your livelihood and once you start changing your life to accommodate for your loss of hearing, many start to feel isolated and lonely.
Anxiety and Depression
With social isolation and loneliness often comes anxiety and depression for many. When you can’t do what you once could and can’t do activities with the people you care about, it affects your quality of life. Some experience depression when they feel isolated and different than others. While others feel anxious with the idea of getting into situation that will make them feel uncomfortable.
A loss in hearing often means a drop in self-esteem and confidence. People often start to feel less sure of themselves and their abilities. If you have seen a shift in your self-esteem it is time to address your hearing loss. We want you to feel confident in yourself.
Others experience a level of anxiety. Maybe you get anxious when people try to communicate with you and you can’t quit hear them or communicate effectively with them. It can be frustrating and is common to leave people with a feeling of anxiety.
The longer these feelings set-in, the bigger the impact they have on your life. If you start to let the disability run your life it can really take a toll on the quality of your life. People that treat their hearing loss often experience a more joyful and fulfilling life after.
Cognitive Decline
With time, decreased stimulation to your ears and brain can weaken the brain’s ability to process sound and recognize speech. The longer this takes place, the more difficult it is to recover. When you can’t hear or recognize others speech, your mental sharpness often suffers. The longer you wait to address your hearing loss, the bigger the impact it can have on mental sharpness. This is the main reason we encourage people to get their hearing checked and to find a solution to their hearing disabilities.
Treating hearing loss is shown to help keep people active and social, engaged, more confident, and mentally sharp. If you feel you or a loved one is experiencing hearing loss, please contact us. The sooner you contact a doctor, the sooner you or a loved one will start to regain confidence, control, and sharpness.
