Hearing loss is a prevalent problem in America, ranking third on the list of the most widespread medical problem. Despite their prevalence, there are several misconceptions that are floating around regarding the nature of hearing loss. It is important to increase awareness about these fallacies to help clear the air about hearing loss.
People are often ashamed to admit that they have a hearing problem, simply because they believe that only old people suffer from hearing loss. In reality, hearing loss can affect anyone at any point in their life. Hearing loss is indeed more common in the elderly, with 50% of people aged 75 and above and 80% of those aged 85 and above suffering from hearing loss.
Despite the prevalence of hearing loss in the elderly population, hearing loss can occur suddenly due to prolonged exposure to loud noises. This can happen to anyone who works in loud environments, or even teenagers who listen to extremely loud music on their headphones.
Hearing loss is often taken lightly even though it has significant effects on your health and overall well-being. Hearing loss actually affects your cardiovascular, cognitive, and social health. People with untreated hearing problems put themselves at risk for diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. They may even have depression and anxiety as a result of social isolation that results from hearing loss.
People with hearing loss also have an increased chance of falling and hurting themselves since their balance is impaired as a result of hearing loss. With all of these problems and more, it would be prudent not to ignore hearing loss no matter how minor it seems.
Those with hearing loss often ignore it simply because it affects only one ear, which is called unilateral loss of hearing. However, you may have hearing loss in both ears without knowing it, so simply using your “good” ear to compensate for your hearing loss in a single ear is a bad idea. This loss of hearing can actually worsen the hearing loss in both ears and place additional strain on your brain to decipher unequal sound signals coming from both the ears.
People wait as long as 10 years before seeking help for their hearing loss. Since hearing loss is a gradual process, it takes a significant amount of time before people start to take it seriously because they simply think it’s no big deal. This is a grave mistake since the longer you wait, the lower your chances of being able to treat your hearing loss effectively.
If you or someone you know appears to have hearing loss, do not wait until it’s too late. Get your hearing tested today to find the available options to help get your hearing health back on track.