You rely on your hearing to bring the sounds of laughter, birds chirping in Frisco Commons Park and conversations with your loved ones. The benefits your hearing provides can make a hearing loss diagnosis feel devastating. While hearing loss can significantly impact your life, early diagnosis and treatment can minimize its effect.
How Common Is Hearing Loss?
The National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that approximately 37.5 million U.S. adults have some difficulty hearing. Despite the benefits hearing treatment can offer, only about one in five people diagnosed with inner ear hearing loss seek help for their condition.
Why Is Early Hearing Loss Treatment Important?
Three common adverse side effects of untreated hearing loss include:
- Cognitive decline. Like the muscles in your arms and legs, the brain needs regular stimulation to stay strong. Without stimulation, cognitive decline can occur. A comprehensive twelve-year study conducted by Johns Hopkins involving 639 adults found a significant correlation between hearing loss and an increased risk of dementia. The findings showed that mild hearing loss could double the risk, moderate hearing loss could triple it and severe hearing loss could make individuals five times more likely to develop dementia.
- Social isolation. A 2020 review of 14 studies found a strong connection between hearing loss and increased loneliness and social isolation risk. Even mild hearing loss can make interactions difficult, leading you to withdraw from social situations to avoid the frustration of challenging communication. This tendency to isolate can negatively affect mental health, contributing to higher rates of depression and anxiety.
- Lack of independence. Hearing loss can increase dependence on others for support with everyday tasks. While there’s no shame in asking for help, it can feel frustrating to struggle with tasks you used to find easy.
How Can Hearing Loss Treatment Help?
Early detection and treatment can significantly minimize the likelihood of adverse side effects and improve your overall quality of life. A few ways hearing aids can help you include:
- Stimulating the brain. Treatment for hearing loss provides the brain with the necessary auditory stimuli to remain active. A 2023 study highlighted that hearing aids can reduce cognitive decline in older adults by nearly 50% over three years.
- Better enjoy time with others. Hearing aids amplify speech sounds to bring clarity and allow you to reestablish connections with your loved ones.
- Restore independence. Hearing aids can restore a sense of independence by amplifying speech and important environmental sounds to keep you aware.
Brain stimulation, easier connection and restored independence are just a few of the countless benefits hearing aids have to offer. Take proactive steps towards better hearing health. Contact Collin County ENT today to schedule a hearing test and consultation with our experienced specialists.