Did you know that October has been Audiology Awareness Month? That means there’s no better time to reach out to an audiologist to have your hearing checked. Below we review the reasons you should schedule a hearing test.
Falls & Accidental Injuries
Untreated hearing loss is associated with a risk of falls and accidental injuries. Research by Johns Hopkins found that those with mild hearing loss at 25 decibels have three times the risk of falling compared to someone with normal hearing. For every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss, this risk increases by 1.4-fold. Another study found that untreated hearing loss is associated with an elevated risk of accidental injury-related to work or leisure.
Cognitive Decline & Dementia
Research also shows that untreated hearing loss can increase your risk of cognitive decline, including dementia. Another study from Johns Hopkins found that people with mild hearing loss have double the risk of developing dementia, people with moderate hearing loss have triple the risk and people with severe hearing loss have five times the risk compared to people with normal hearing. Fortunately, a report by The Lancet indicates hearing loss is a modifiable risk factor for dementia, which means treatment can prevent or delay a dementia diagnosis.
Depression & Anxiety
Untreated hearing loss can also impact your mental health. When you can’t hear well, you may feel anxious about being left out of the conversation, misunderstanding what someone said or responding inappropriately. This can cause you to withdraw from activities you once enjoyed, which is a well-known risk factor for depression and can lead to feelings of loneliness. If you’re experiencing symptoms of depression, be sure to reach out to Southeastern Behavioral Health Center to get help.
Hearing Aids Can Help
Many people cite that one of the barriers they have against getting a hearing test is they don’t want to wear hearing aids. However, wearing hearing aids is no different than wearing glasses: both treat a sensory loss. In addition, today’s hearing aids are nothing like what your parents or grandparents wore. They’re designed to be small, sleek and discreet, and most boast amazing features like rechargeability, Bluetooth connectivity, automatic programming, background noise reduction and more.
For more information about today’s hearing aids or to schedule an appointment with an audiologist, call Hearing Health Centers today.
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