Do you struggle to hear the people in your life? Perhaps you understand what has been said and it’s starting to take a toll on your relationships at home and at work? Well, you are not alone. Hearing loss is a condition often assumed to only affect older adults. However, in truth one out of every eight people in the United States between the ages of 12 and older are reported to have hearing loss in both ears, based on standard examinations. This equals nearly 30 million people in a broad swath of ages. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a “prevalence of noise induced hearing loss among U.S. adolescents ranging between 12.8% and 17.5%, suggesting that one in every six to eight middle and high school students (aged 12–19 years) has measurable hearing loss likely resulting from excessive noise exposure” Meanwhile approximately two out of every 1,000 children are born with some form of hearing loss in one or both of their ears. Because hearing loss is increasingly becoming common in people of all ages, it’s important to understand it’s far-reaching effects. What starts as a communication issue, can quickly become crippling depression and for people across generations, this is a real threat.
The Impact of Depression
Due to the fact that more and more people of all ages are experiencing hearing loss, it is essential to understand how it is connected to a range of issues, including how people with untreated hearing loss are affected emotionally. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that “Depression is a common illness worldwide, with an estimated 3.8% of the population affected, including 5.0% among adults and 5.7% among adults older than 60 years” It’s becoming a larger and larger issue. Depression is often perceived as the persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest and can lead to a range of behavioral and physical symptoms, including sleep issues, over or under eating, decreased energy level, concentration, or self-esteem.
Hearing Loss and Depression
While in the past, older generations have disregarded the severity of depression as just a mood, today attitudes are changing to look at ways to take this emotional disorder more seriously. For instance, what may be read and diagnosed as the signs of depression may be caused by an underlying issue such as hearing loss. Untreated, hearing loss can impact how we connect to the people in our everyday life and over time this can take a toll on our mental health. We may feel less confident in our relationships and the activities we used to love. In its place may be an overwhelming sense of feeling disconnected and alone, even when surrounded by the people we love. All too quickly we may find ourselves skipping out of social situations, parties, and gatherings—choosing to self-isolate instead. We as humans are social creatures who often get a sense of excitement and belonging to something larger than ourselves when we connect to others. For people who were previously outgoing, it’s safe to say that hearing loss could affect your everyday mood.
Studying the Depressive Effects of Hearing Loss
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg recently conducted a study published in the Journal of Personality pertaining to on the effects of hearing loss on people’s personalities and moods. Following 400 people between 80 and 98 years old, over six years, they closely monitored their physical and mental abilities biannually. The researchers noted that the people in this study gradually become less outgoing over time, most likely due to unaddressed hearing loss.
Lead researcher on the study, Anne Ingeborg Berg has a PhD, a licensed psychologist, explains “To our knowledge, this is the first time a link between hearing and personality changes has been established in longitudinal studies.” She continued “Surprisingly, we did not find that declining overall health and functional capacity make people less outgoing. But hearing loss directly affects the quality of social situations. If the perceived quality of social interaction goes down, it may eventually affect whether and how we relate to others.”
Addressing Hearing Loss
While there is no way to reverse a hearing loss it can be treated. So many people have discovered that their ability to connect to the people in their lives, mobility and confidence quickly return as they commit to a life with amplified hearing every day. Join the millions who already love and live their lives with hearing loss. Contact us today to set up a hearing exam.