Assistive listening devices and hearing aids can be utilized to treat the common condition of hearing loss. However, hearing loss often goes undiagnosed and untreated. For people who suffered from hearing loss, this can trigger feelings of social-isolation and depression.
It can also lead to a breakdown in personal and professional relationships, which itself will foster more feelings of depression and isolation. This is a horrible cycle that can be prevented, and treating your hearing loss is the solution to ending that downward spiral.
Hearing loss and depression
We’ve known that hearing loss can produce feelings of isolation and depression for a long time now. Adults older than 50 with untreated hearing loss often report feelings of depression and anxiety, according to one study. They also reported being less socially active. A lot of them had the feeling that people were getting angry at them and they didn’t know why. However, people who got hearing aids reported improvements in their relationships, and the people around them – family, co-workers, and friends – also stated that they saw improvements.
For individuals with hearing loss of higher than 25 decibels, who were between 18 and 70 years old, depression was more common. Increased depression wasn’t reported by people over 70 who had self-reported hearing loss. But there are still a lot of people who need assistance and aren’t receiving it.
Lack of awareness or unwillingness to wear hearing aids affects mental health
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 may think people are mumbling.
You may just think it costs too much.
It’s essential that anyone who has dealt with symptoms of depression or anxiety, or the feeling that they are being left out of conversations because people seem to be talking really quietly or mumbling too much, get their hearing tested. We can discuss your options if we do find hearing loss. That might be all you need to feel so much better.