It really is not a secret that hearing loss really affects the ability of a person to carry out daily activities and to lead a normal life. They find it a lot more difficult to connect with other people, keep a hold of their job, and also maintain the relationships that you actually are about. Hearing loss can affect a person in numerous ways and can significantly cause adverse effects related to health, including a diminished quality of life and also a faster rate of cognitive decline. The faster rate of cognitive decline can lead to dementia in many cases or it can cause Alzheimer’s disease and tinnitus as well. It may surprise you but did you know that hearing loss can also affect a person’s mental health and can cause depression? Also, not all is doom and gloom as this type of depression brought on by hearing loss, can be mitigated very well with hearing aids.
Depression is no joke
Every year, there are more than about 14 million people in the States who are diagnosed with major depressive disorders. While it is true and it may seem more likely that seniors will develop depression, in reality the average age of the on-set of depression is about 32. Tiredness, losing appetite or even overeating, lower stamina, and also abrupt changes in mood are just some of the symptoms of depression. You need to be able to look out for these symptoms in both yourself and in others as well.
Depression can get the hold of a person in a number of ways. It can be brought on by feelings of withdrawal, nervousness, etc. Another major symptom is a sense of hopelessness that really disrupts everyday functioning or sometimes the symptoms may make one feel like he/she is completely worthless and helpless.
The link between depression and hearing loss
If you happen to remain totally unsure as to what is causing depression in either yourself or a loved one, then it may be time to get the hearing of these people checked. Hearing loss makes it incredibly difficult to form connections with other people. It also reduces the ability of a person to receive support from their friends and family. This makes hearing loss a major risk factor in depression. With hearing loss, you really do runk the risk of being isolated and alienated.
People who have hearing loss that goes untreated are much more likely to face interpersonal issues, depression, and also a whole host of other mental health issues. Hearing loss really does have the ability to be an extremely isolating and also stressful experience. It really does make it that much harder to connect with your friends and other loved ones. It makes maintaining close relationships with people you want to maintain close relationships with a whole lot more difficult. This means that you will be missing out on a whole lot when it comes to getting along with the people who mean the most to you.
Your social life will also suffer dramatically as well. If you have hearing loss, you will constantly find yourself sitting at home alone and not doing much of anything. You will start to prefer staying at home vs going downtown with your friends or just going out in general because you are not able to interact with people properly and you run the risk of getting humiliated. There have been a lot of studies conducted on the matter and they have found that people with hearing loss who do not use hearing aids have a much harder time communicating properly with others. It does not matter if the person is a family member ,or if it is at a social gathering, or even at work.
Anxiety, emotional distress, social isolation, irritability, and depression are all linked to a loss of hearing. Hearing loss that goes untreated has a massive effect on your relationships and both professional and social life. Most of the people who do suffer from hearing loss also experience the highly undesired experiences of hopelessness or loneliness. This puts them at greater risk of social alienation and also depression.
How hearing loss treatment can help.
Depression and hearing loss are two things that are very well connected. There have been some studies that have looked at hearing loss treatment methods and the impact it has on the mental health of a person. Studies of this nature normally looked into data about seniors who had both depression and hearing loss. The study participants were also in the process of making use of hearing aids or maybe a cochlear implant in order to treat their hearing impairment.
The studies were able to determine that depressive symptoms reduced significantly after just about six months of using hearing aid devices. The researchers were able to see much improved social interactions of these people and their overall quality of life also went up. The study participants also mentioned that they themselves noticed an improvement in their mental health. They gained a lot of self-confidence and their depressive episodes got fewer and further removed. A lot of study participants who kept on wearing hearing aids continued to receive benefits from the device. Hearing aids were able to help the people who had the most extreme cases of depression. What this points to is a very important thing. It means that even the most difficult of cases of depression and hearing loss can be effectively battled by making use of hearing aids.
Hearing makes a world of difference
If you have hearing loss, then it would be wise to get it looked into immediately. The sooner you get help, the sooner you can lift up your quality of life. Hearing is one of the 5 senses that makes us human and losing one can be quite debilitating to say the least.
