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Hearing loss doesn’t just affect your ability to watch the television. It’s also connected to some very serious health risk factors, so you need to take it seriously.

 

As you age, you might experience hearing loss. This is a very common and sometimes annoying side effect of aging. Most people believe that this problem is both inevitable and mostly harmless. You probably also believe that there are other health concerns that are far more serious and deserving of attention. But hearing loss isn’t quite as benign as you might think. In fact, it’s connected to a range of serious health threats that you must be aware of.

 

What Causes Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss is the third most common health impairment amongst older people. Unfortunately, it can also be a fairly subtle problem. In the early stages, you probably won’t even notice that your hearing has changed. As a result, you may avoid seeking treatment for this problem until it’s quite advanced. This lowers the chance that your doctor will be able to help and worsens the overall outcome.

 

Your body changes as it ages and some of these changes can negatively affect your hearing. Here are the most common causes of age-related hearing loss:

 

• As you age, earwax gets drier and stickier while the outer ear canal gets thinner. This allows wax to build up in the ear and causes hearing loss.

 

• Thickening of the ear drum.

 

• You may lose sensory cells in the cochlea and experience degenerative changes in the nerve fibers that carry information from these cells to the brain.

 

In some cases, it is possible to protect or regain your hearing. Make sure you visit your doctor regularly so that they can remove any wax from your ears. And avoid loud noises, medications, and chemicals that can damage the inner ear.

 

The Problem with Hearing Loss

Hearing loss does more than put you at risk of certain health disorders. It may also affect your mood and your social life as well. If you experience hearing loss, it can make it more difficult for you to interact with others. You may also feel shame and frustration. As a result of these feelings, many people experience depression and social isolation as a result of this health risk. It may also affect your self-esteem and your overall life satisfaction. All these problems can be very serious amongst older people, and their danger shouldn’t be dismissed.

 

Your ear is also closely related to your balance, so hearing loss can also affect your mobility. Falling is a serious concern amongst the elderly, which makes this a very serious side effect. So, if you have hearing loss and are also experiencing balance problems, make sure you see your doctor for help as soon as possible.

 

Hearing Impairment and Cognitive Decline

Hearing loss is strongly linked with some very serious health problems, including subjective cognitive decline. As people age, they often notice a decline in their memory and in their thinking skills. This is known as subjective cognitive decline. Unfortunately, this issue has a very strong connection with dementia and other cognitive problems linked to aging.

 

A recent study has shown that men’s risk of cognitive decline is 42-54 percent higher if they have moderate to severe hearing loss. Men with mild hearing loss have an increased risk of 30 percent. This shows just how strongly hearing loss relates to cognition. It also has implications for dementia diagnosis which may allow for earlier interventions and a better outcome.

 

The Takeaway

Hearing loss is obviously connection to serious health risk factors. To lower these risks, you need to be proactive. As you age, make sure you monitor your hearing regularly. You may also want to take professional hearing tests on a regular basis. This will help pick up any small changes in your hearing that aren’t noticeable in daily life. You can also get personal hearing tests on your phone or tablet. These will allow you to test your hearing regularly in the privacy of your home.

 

Also, it’s important that you take steps to avoid things that can damage your hearing. This means limiting your exposure to loud noises. You should also avoid medications or chemicals that could damage the delicate inner ear.

 

And finally, don’t avoid the issue if you start having a problem hearing the television. Instead, talk to your doctor about your options. There are a variety of ways that hearing loss can be corrected including sophisticated hearing devices and even surgery. This will not only reduce the health risk of hearing loss, it may also improve your relationships and social life too.

 

 

 

If you’re concerned about a health risk, try using HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any preventative measures you take. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.

 

Tags: Health risk, hearing