The Link Between Life Expectancy And Hearing Loss

Different aspects of your health are often linked to each other. One health issue can affect another due to the way your body and mind work as a system. Your hearing health is one of the things that can be linked to other parts of your health, and hearing loss could even have an effect on your lifespan.

Some research has shown that people who have hearing loss may have various other health problems, both physical and mental, and that there might be a link between hearing loss and a shorter lifespan. Additionally, hearing loss can affect your quality of life, especially in your later years.

Hearing Loss and Health

Hearing loss may be associated with a number of other health problems, which could reduce your life expectancy. For example, smoking, heart disease and high blood pressure are often linked to hearing loss. High blood pressure can lead to hearing loss by damaging the blood vessels that carry blood to your ears. Studies have shown that people with high blood pressure have a higher instance of hearing loss. In this way, hearing loss doesn’t directly cause additional health problems but it is related to them and could indicate an underlying health issue.

Hearing loss has also been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia and cognitive decline. This could be due to a number of reasons. One issue is that when someone is experiencing hearing loss, the brain begins to work harder to process sound and to make sense of what it’s hearing. Simply engaging in a conversation can take a lot of mental effort, which leaves less of the brain’s power for other activities.

Hearing loss may also make people withdraw from the activities that can help to keep their minds active. If they are unable to keep up with certain activities, they might instead choose to stay home and isolate themselves.

Social isolation can cause other problems too. Many people with untreated hearing loss find themselves with feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety. A lack of socialization can lead to people not having the support that they need from friends and family.

How Hearing Loss Is Linked to Life Expectancy

The link between hearing loss and poor health means that people with hearing loss could expect to live fewer years than others. Of course, there is no exact life expectancy for anyone, but the average life expectancy for those with hearing loss could be lower, particularly for those with untreated hearing loss.

Hearing loss could mean not only a shorter life expectancy but also a poorer quality of life for people in their later years. When hearing loss is untreated, it can impact your life in a variety of ways. Being unable to hear clearly makes it difficult to do a lot of things, from having conversations with others to working or participating in your favorite activities. Many people are unable to do certain things or might choose not to do some things to avoid the awkwardness and embarrassment that can come from being unable to hear.

The Important Role of Hearing Aids

Hearing loss may be associated with shorter life expectancy, but caring for your hearing health can help you to improve your overall health. When hearing loss is treated, it can improve your quality of life by allowing you to experience everything more fully. Wearing hearing aids is an excellent way to give people with hearing loss a better quality of life.

Hearing aid technology has developed an impressive amount over the years. Hearing aids are now capable of doing many different things, from connecting to smartphones with wireless technology to filtering out background noise.

Anyone, and older adults especially, can take care of their hearing health by treating hearing loss and looking after their general health. Consulting your doctor can help you to get the right advice about making healthy lifestyle choices that might help you to avoid hearing loss. For example, dietary changes could help you to control some health issues that can lead to hearing loss.

If you think that you might have some hearing loss, getting your hearing tested should be your first step. A hearing test will reveal whether you have any hearing loss and could also identify potential causes too.

Get in touch with the Rametta Audiology & Hearing Aid Center to find out more about hearing loss and to make an appointment. You can call our Tarentum office at (724) 409-4439 or our Vandergrift office at (724) 567-3233.