Hearing And Quality Of Life In Older Adults

Similar to your oral and physical health, your hearing is an essential component of your overall wellbeing. As you age, your hearing may be impacted or you might start to experience hearing loss. Therefore, it makes sense to wonder about hearing and quality of life in older adults. Exchanging information between parties is a vital and frequent occurrence in everyday life. If you have trouble hearing and communicating with someone then you may soon become frustrated and begin to isolate yourself or feel depressed.

The Research on Untreated Hearing Loss and Health

Studies have shown that those with an untreated hearing impairment might have a shorter lifespan. In addition, if there is vision loss in combination with hearing loss then this might make taking care of oneself every day even more difficult. Daily life can be impacted by this scenario and ultimately lead to a diminished quality of life. Hearing loss has also been linked to having a stroke and heart disease. There may be instances of cognitive decline too.

Hearing Loss and Health Risks

When it comes to hearing loss and quality of life in older adults, you should be aware that there are certain health risks associated with hearing loss. These risks and side effects are both mental and physical. Below is a list of what these include:

• Heart disease
• Depression
• Cognitive decline (such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease)

When you can’t hear well you may find it challenging to interact, socialize and communicate with others. This can lead to isolation and depression and types of cognitive impairments. Concerning heart disease, low-frequency hearing loss may be a sign that you have cerebrovascular disease or are at risk of cardiovascular disease.

Tips for Managing Hearing Loss in Older Adults

There are some useful ways in which older adults can properly manage hearing loss for the best results. One of the top options is to look into getting hearing aids. They are effective at managing hearing loss and have been known to improve the quality of life of those who wear them.

Another reason they work well is that there are a variety of sizes and types of hearing aids suitable for just about anyone and any kind of lifestyle. An audiologist can work with you to choose hearing aids that fit your budget, hearing requirements and personal preferences.

Manage hearing loss in older adults through diet changes as well. There is a known link between hearing loss and iron deficiency. In this case, it’s best to speak to a medical professional who can offer treatment options and help you prevent other medical conditions.

Hearing Loss and Mental Health

One interesting area to dive deeper into is hearing loss and how it may affect the mental health of older adults. Studies have concluded that experiencing hearing loss can put you at risk of developing certain mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, for example. The best course of action in this instance is to seek professional treatment right away to get help with the hearing loss and to gain emotional support.

When to See an Audiologist

There may come a time when you need to see an audiologist if you have a sudden loss of hearing or experience ringing in the ears, for example. You should schedule an appointment to get a hearing test if you have either of these symptoms or difficulty understanding certain sounds or words. It may require that you have further testing done to get the right diagnosis and care. It’s better to be proactive and stay ahead of it so that you can minimize the extent to which your quality of life may diminish over time.

The short answer is, yes, hearing does impact the quality of life in older adults. How much it does and to what effect depends largely on the person and the level of hearing loss. As an older adult who is experiencing hearing loss, you must get in touch with an audiologist right away to schedule an appointment to get your hearing looked at. This way you can come up with a treatment plan that will hopefully prevent any further negative impact on your quality of life and overall health and happiness.

If you’re looking for an experienced audiologist in your area then we can help. Our team is professional, friendly and has the knowledge and expertise to assist you with all your hearing testing and hearing aid needs. You can learn more about Memphis Audiology by calling this phone number: 901-708 -2916.