The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss on Mental and Emotional Health

By Pheno

There’s no need to remind you that hearing is by far one of the most crucial senses because it allows us to seamlessly understand the world that surrounds us, and, at the same time, establish connections and communicate with the people we encounter.

Most people are generally used to all kinds of sounds, and when that suddenly stops, meaning that hearing loss has started deteriorating, only then do they realize how valuable this sense is and how their life is turned upside-down without it.

Lots of people tend to overlook certain symptoms that are clear signs of hearing deterioration. If left untreated, it will result in permanent hearing loss, which can seriously impact mental well-being. To prove this fact, this article will further delve into this sensitive topic.

You Are Not Suffering Just Physically

Even though hearing loss can occur abruptly, in most cases, it happens gradually, mostly due to old age (also known as presbycusis); however, there are, of course, different conditions that may cause it.

If it happens because of age, many people just ignore the signs, not noticing that there's something wrong (even if it has been happening for years) because they have somewhat adapted to these things.

All of a sudden, they start turning up the TV, having issues communicating, etc. Instead of pretending like everything’s fine, hearing loss gurus at Audiology Island suggest consulting your physician to see if they are going to recommend any exams or hearing aids, depending on your current situation. Bear in mind that when people start experiencing something like this, they tend to isolate themselves from society, or they stop doing activities they enjoyed before. In other words, they aren't just impacted physically, but mentally, too!

They Become Extremely Frustrated

As stated previously, when hearing loss strikes (regardless of its severity), people oftentimes struggle to have a normal conversation with others, or reside in noisy places, which can make them feel extremely frustrated. 

When you are constantly forced to ask others to repeat what they said, it can make you feel embarrassed and negatively impact your self-esteem, as well. Aside from that, when a person doesn’t hear well, the risk of miscommunication and misunderstanding is also increased. When these things happen, it’s hard to be indifferent to them.

And Then There’s Anxiety

It seems as if anxiety has become a huge part of most people's lives for a variety of different reasons. Even if you've never dealt with it before (lucky you!), you just might start experiencing it because of this problem.

In fact, it's completely normal to encounter it because your hearing has become very unreliable, and then you start getting scared that you won't hear when someone calls you, potential traffic dangers, important announcements, and all the other things that were normal to you up until recently. Anxiety also comes because you no longer feel safe.

Even though hearing loss may sound scary and there’s no point in pretending that it isn’t, keep in mind that its impact can be prevented if you take things seriously and have your hearing checked if you start having any symptoms that may indicate its decline.

MBT^pg