Hearing Aids can help minimize the negative effects of the common condition of hearing loss. However, a lot of hearing loss goes undiscovered and untreated – and that can lead to greater depression rates and feelings of isolation in people with hearing loss.
And it can spiral into a vicious circle where isolation and depression from hearing loss cause a breakdown in personal and work relationship leading to even worse depression and solitude. Treating hearing loss is the key to stopping this unnecessary cycle.
Hearing Loss Has Been Linked to Depression by Numerous Studies
Symptoms of depression have been continuously connected, according to numerous studies, to hearing loss. One study of individuals with neglected hearing loss discovered that adults 50 years or older were more likely to document symptoms of depression, and signs of anxiety and paranoia. And it was also more likely that that group would retreat from social involvement. Many reported that they felt as if people were getting angry at them for no reason. However, relationships were improved for those who used hearing aids, who noted that friends, family, and co-workers all recognized the difference.
A different study discovered that people between the ages of 18 and 70, reported a greater sense of depression if they suffered from hearing loss of more than 25 dB. The only group that didn’t document a higher incidence of depression even with hearing loss was people over the age of 70. But that still indicates that a large part of the population is not getting the assistance they need to improve their lives. Another study found that hearing aid users had a lower reported rate of depression symptoms than those subjects who had hearing loss but who did not use hearing aids.
Mental Health is Affected by Opposition to Using Hearing Aids
With reported outcomes like those, you might imagine that people would need to treat their hearing loss. But people don’t seek out help for two principal reasons. Some people assume that their hearing is functioning just fine when it actually isn’t. They have themselves convinced that people are mumbling or even that they are talking quietly on purpose. The second factor is that some people may not recognize that they have a hearing impairment. It seems, to them, that people don’t like to talk to them.
It’s imperative that anybody who has experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety, or the sense that they are being left out of interactions due to people speaking too quietly or mumbling too much, have their hearing checked. If there is hearing loss, that person should talk about which hearing aid is right for them. You could possibly feel a lot better if you go to see a hearing specialist.