What Other Medical Conditions Are Associated With Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss is a co-morbity (a co-occurrence of one or more disorders). The six major other medical conditions associated with hearing loss are social isolation and loneliness, depression, balance problems and falls, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia. Additionally, beyond the medical conditions noted above, there are other comorbidities associated with hearing loss, including but not limited to fibromyalgia, anaemia, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, and sleep apnoea.
Social isolation and loneliness
As we age, social isolation increases the risk of numerous mental and physical health challenges. Social isolation is also a growing epidemic, which, according to the former Surgeon General of the USA, is associated with a “reduction in lifespan similar to that caused by smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” One big reason people become socially isolated is because of hearing loss. Often, as hearing becomes challenging, people avoid social, business or transactional situations where hearing interactions is key and instead choose to withdraw and isolate themselves.
Depression
Losing the ability to enjoy the sounds you used to take for granted, such as music, nature, and your loved ones’ voices, can leave you experiencing grief, loneliness, deprivation – all variations of sadness. As for anxiety and stress, they can become disorders in their own right. Straining to hear all day at work, at home, or in social situations is also stressful. Living in a constant state of sadness, anxiety, and/or stress is unhealthy for many reasons, including raising your risk of depression.
Falls
Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among the elderly leading to significant health, social, economic, and emotional consequences. They often lead to fatal outcomes within the first 12 months of a fall with injury in the senior population. Hearing loss is one of several factors causing falls. Even a mild degree of hearing loss triples the risk of an accidental fall.
Cardiovascular disease
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, killing nearly 610,000 people every year in the United States. Those with cardiovascular disease can have a variety of medical issues affecting the structure and vessels of the heart. The most common types include those, which narrow or block vessels leading to chest pain, or a heart attack or stroke. Studies have shown that good circulation plays a role in maintaining good hearing health. Conversely, inadequate blood flow and trauma to the blood vessels of the inner ear can contribute to hearing loss.
Diabetes
It’s known that high blood sugar can damage blood vessels throughout the body, including your ears. If you’ve had diabetes for a long time and it isn’t well controlled, there could be damage to the vast network of small blood vessels in your ears. Another complication of diabetes is nerve damage. It’s possible that damage to the auditory nerves could lead to hearing loss.
Cognitive impairment and dementia
Individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss are up to 5 times as likely to develop cognitive impairment like dementia. According to several major studies, older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, compared to those with normal hearing. The risk escalates as a person’s hearing loss worsens. Those with mild hearing impairment are nearly twice as likely to develop dementia compared to those with normal hearing. The risk increases three-fold for those with moderate hearing loss, and five-fold for those with severe impairment.
That is why it is so important to get your hearing checked regularly. Your ihear hearing specialist can explain how hearing loss can affect other health concerns. Book your free hearing check today!
This article was originally published by Hearing Consultants.
