Assistive listening devices and hearing aids can be used to treat the prevalent condition of hearing loss. Unfortunately, hearing loss frequently goes undiagnosed and unaddressed. This can result in greater depression rates and feelings of isolation in those with hearing loss.
And these feelings of depression and isolation can be increased by the breakdown of professional and personal relationships which frequently accompany hearing loss. The key to ending that downward spiral is treating your hearing loss.
Hearing loss and depression
We’ve known that hearing loss can cause feelings of solitude and depression for a long time now. One study of individuals with untreated hearing loss found that adults 50 years old and older were more likely to report symptoms of depression, along with indications of paranoia or anxiety. They also reported being less socially involved. A lot of them had the feeling that people were getting angry at them and they didn’t know why. But when those people got hearing aids, they reported improvements in their social condition, and others in their life also noticed the difference.
For individuals with hearing loss of more than 25 decibels, who were between 18 and 70 years old, depression was more prevalent. Increased depression was not reported by people over 70 who had self-reported hearing loss. But that still means that a large part of the population is not getting the help they require to improve their lives.
Mental health can be impacted by refusal to use hearing aids or to lack of awareness
It seems as if it would be clear that you should treat your hearing loss when you read reports like this. Maybe you simply don’t think your hearing is that bad. You might think people are mumbling.
You might just think it’s too costly.
It’s important to get a hearing test if you think that you are being left out of interactions or are feeling anxiety or depression. If there is hearing loss, we can talk about your options. It could help you feel a lot better.