Hearing Aids can help minimize the negative effects of the common condition of hearing loss. Still, a lot of hearing loss goes undiscovered and neglected – and that can lead to greater depression rates and feelings of solitude in people with hearing loss.
And it can spiral into a vicious circle where solitude and depression from hearing loss cause a breakdown in work and personal relationship causing even worse depression and isolation. Treating hearing loss is the key to preventing this unnecessary cycle.
Hearing Loss Has Been Linked to Depression by Countless Studies
Researchers have found in numerous studies that untreated hearing loss is linked to the advancement of depressive symptoms – and this isn’t a new trend. One study of people who suffer from neglected hearing loss discovered that adults 50 years or older were more likely to report symptoms of depression, and signs of anxiety and paranoia. And it was also more likely that that group would withdraw from social involvement. Many couldn’t understand why it seemed like people were getting angry with them. However, relationships were enhanced for people who wore hearing aids, who noted that friends, family, and co-workers all recognized the difference.
Another study discovered that individuals between the ages of 18 and 70, revealed a greater feeling of depression if they suffered from hearing loss of greater than 25 decibels. The only group that didn’t report an increased incidence of depression even with hearing loss was individuals 70 years old or older. But that still indicates that a large part of the population is not getting the help they require to improve their lives. And individuals who participated in another study reported that those participants who managed their hearing loss using hearing aids had a lower depression rate.
ignorance or Unwillingness to Use Hearing Aids Impacts Mental Health
With documented benefits like those, you might imagine that people would wish to manage their hearing loss. But people don’t find help for two main reasons. Some people believe that their hearing is functioning just fine when it actually isn’t. They have themselves convinced that people are mumbling or even that they are speaking softly on purpose. Also, it’s quite common for people to be clueless about their hearing impairment. It seems, to them, that people don’t like to talk to them.
If you are somebody who regularly feels like people are talking quietly or mumbling and it’s causing you to feel anxiety or even depression, it’s time for a hearing test. If your hearing specialist finds hearing problems, hearing aid options should be talked about. Seeing a good hearing specialist may be all that is needed to feel a whole lot better.