Hearing loss impacts our emotional well-being. When we can hear properly, there is nothing stopping us from enjoying the sounds of laughter, music, nature or conversations with family and friends. To hear these sounds charges our souls and undeniably makes moments more memorable and life more enjoyable.
When hearing is impaired, those sounds we’ve taken for granted fade — leading to a torrent of changes that could impact us emotionally.
Here are some reasons of what hearing loss causes:
- Hearing loss might cause embarrassment
- Missing favourite sounds might lead to sadness
- Missing critical information could create anxiety
- Not hearing conversations clearly might lead to feeling left out
- Feeling left out can lead to depression and social isolation
Hearing loss increases the risk for dementia in three ways:
- Hearing loss can lead to social isolation, which is a known factor for dementia.
- Your cognitive load is shifted with hearing loss, which means that the brain steals energy needed for memory and thinking to compensate for hearing loss.
- Hearing loss is proven to shrink the brain
Hearing loss plays a significant role in our physical and mental well-being — with a growing body of research linking hearing loss to dementia and cognitive decline. When we hear our best, it’s easy to stay engaged, alert and active.
When hearing is impaired, our sense of space shrinks, warning cues get missed, and we withdraw from social activities or situations. This leaves our physical and mental health vulnerable.
Adults with hearing loss are up to five times more likely to develop dementia. Hearing loss is linked to a three-fold risk of falling. Accidental injuries are up to 50 percent more likely for people with hearing loss. It is so important to make your hearing health a top priority and need to be made part of your media check up regime.
Hearing loss impacts everyday life
It is a fact that hearing keeps us connected to the world around us. Whether it is communicating with friends and family, interacting with colleagues, enjoying a movie or TV show, or waking up to the sounds of birds singing outside your window — when you can hear well, you simply live better.
And when hearing is weakened, these above-mentioned connections, interactions and moments can be muted and strained, which has an impact on our quality of life leaving you feeling lonely, isolated and depressed.
It cannot be nice to all of a sudden not be able to hear your grandchild’s first words or a family dinner story, feeling left out of a conversation or a good joke. You become limited to fun social activities. You start to feel less independent, less confident and less secure. Your loved ones become frustrated with constant requests to repeat what was said and not being able to live life to the fullest because of hearing loss holding you back. Get the help you need for your hearing impairment from us at Strauss Audiology.
About Strauss Audiology
Strauss Audiology is a professional audiology business in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, offering expert, effective hearing advice that is tailored to clients’ unique hearing needs. We conduct hearing evaluations, hearing tests and vertigo assessments, and provide a range of solutions to improve and protect clients’ hearing. This includes providing hearing aids to Cape Town clients. With 16 years of experience, and with the qualifications and certifications to deliver leading hearing care, you can trust us to take care of your hearing needs.
Want your hearing tested? Need a solution for hearing loss?