The Reality of Hearing Loss
The world of hearing loss is often plagued with numerous amounts of misinformation and myths, which add to its unnecessary stigma. It is important to learn the facts about loss of hearing as well as the use of hearing aids so that we can help ourselves and our loved ones in times of need.
First and foremost, it is important to note that hearing loss is not the problem that affects only older adults. It can occur at any point of time. In fact, the Better Hearing Institute recently reported that 65% of hearing loss cases occurs in those who are less than 65 years of age. Hearing loss affects 1.4 million children in America, thus it can hardly be called a problem of the elderly.
Hearing aids are the most popular treatment methods of treating hearing loss. Only around 10% of severe cases of hearing loss tend to utilize surgical methods such as cochlear implant or other forms of medical intervention.
Alarmingly, it appears that there are a vast majority of hearing loss cases that were actually preventable! Noise-induced hearing loss is a common form of hearing loss, which occurs from prolonged exposure to loud noises. In fact, in America, 30 million people expose themselves to unsafe levels of sound on a daily basis. This can easily be prevented through the use of safe hearing practices such as using earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.
Even though hearing loss can be a gradual process, in certain situations it can occur suddenly as well. In cases of bomb explosions or the sound of gunshots, instant hearing loss may occur.
The danger of hearing loss is that it is an unseen problem. Only around 16% of medical professionals test their patients for hearing impairment regularly. This is why it may take years before you even realize that you have a hearing problem.
Those with hearing loss have a triple likelihood of sustaining a fall due to loss of balance. There is also evidence to suggest that hearing loss diminishes cognitive skills and can lead to dementia.
Your social skills become impaired with hearing loss. This can lead to a myriad of health and psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. Your personal relationships and professional work output also becomes greatly hampered due to untreated hearing loss.
Using hearing aids shows a drastic improvement in the cognitive, social, and vocational skills of those with hearing loss. The chances of dementia and falling are also greatly reduced when you use hearing aids. It is time to take hearing loss seriously and encourage timely treatment for it.