If you know that you have hearing loss but have not taken action to pursue treatment, you might be making your problems much worse. Hearing loss is not an isolated condition. On the contrary, failing to address your hearing loss can be part of a snowball effect in your body, mind, and social life. Let’s take a closer look at the ways that avoiding a hearing test can be part of a bigger system of issues you face. If you act now to schedule a hearing test and to get the treatment you need, you can reduce your risk of these other issues that are nightly correlated with hearing loss.
Health and Wellness
Untreated hearing loss is connected to a wide range of other issues regarding your health and wellness. In some cases, untreated hearing loss can actually cause problems for your health. These health issues include a higher likelihood of accidents and injuries, as well as higher rates of return for multiple visits to the doctor or hospital. In addition to these issues, a diagnosis of hearing loss can function as a warning sign of other health problems. Hearing loss is highly correlated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, gout, and other physical health problems. In most cases, there is an underlying issue causing both problems, so your doctor can use a diagnosis of hearing loss to prompt further testing when necessary. Your general wellness can decline as a result of untreated hearing loss, but getting the test can help you pursue an active and healthy lifestyle.
Mental Health
Those who have untreated hearing loss have higher rates of mental health problems, as well. In some cases, the relationship is direct. Knowing that your hearing ability is compromised can lead to frustration, anger, anxiety, and depression. Some powerful myths can make people associate hearing loss with aging, inability, and a lack of independence, so a diagnosis of hearing loss can make some of them feel depressed. For others, a snowball effect leads from hearing loss and frustration with communication to social isolation. When a person is socially isolated, that lack of connection can contribute to poor mental health, as well. As you can see, avoiding treatment for hearing loss can contribute to a wide range of negative mental experiences, both directly and indirectly.
Communication and Relationships
When a person has untreated hearing loss, it tends to be more difficult to communicate. This tendency toward miscommunication can put a strain on relationships, ranging from our closest loved ones to casual acquaintances in the community. If we are unable to trust these relationships for reliable communication, they can suffer as a result. Our ability to keep strong and healthy relationships relies on open communication. Though relationships can suffer from poor communication for many reasons, hearing loss can be one physiological cause of struggling relationships. We need to trust others to be there for us when we need them. However, hearing loss can create an obstacle between our ability to communicate our needs and for another person to respond with support. Beyond these close, trusting bonds, our relationships in the broader community can suffer as a result of hearing loss, as well. When we are out and about in public spaces or attending events, we need communication to form strong bonds with others. Hearing loss makes it difficult to connect with strangers and acquaintances alike, fragmenting our sense of community involvement and connection.
If any of these problems associated with hearing loss are a cause for concern, the good news is that getting treatment can set you on the path toward health and wellbeing. The first step toward getting treatment is to schedule a hearing test. That diagnostic exam will enable our hearing health professionals to assess your hearing ability and to recommend the right assistance for your individual needs. With the benefits of treatment in mind, why not schedule your hearing test today? The longer you avoid getting a test, the more problems you are likely to face in terms of physical health, mental well-being, and relationship issues. These many problems can be avoided by getting the treatment you need, so make the call today!
