Many people avoid going to the doctor, especially if they believe their conditions or symptoms are mild. One area where we see this avoidance in full force is hearing loss treatment. A 2018 study on early hearing loss intervention in adults found that only about 20% of people with inner ear (permanent) hearing loss seek help. Additionally, they discovered that many individuals wait 10 years or longer from the time they first notice hearing loss before seeking help.
One of the main barriers between noticing the condition and seeking treatment is the assumption that your hearing loss isn’t advanced enough to need hearing aids. Let’s take a look at how mild hearing loss affects you and why you should seek treatment early.
How Does Mild Hearing Loss Affect Me?
Three key ways mild hearing loss can affect your quality of life include:
- Relationship strain. Healthy communication is the bedrock of a healthy relationship. When hearing loss causes you to mishear your partner or not hear them at all, it can put strain on your relationship.
- Heavier cognitive load. Spending the whole day struggling to understand those around you can cause significant mental fatigue, leaving you with little energy at the end of the day.
- Increased risk of falls. Studies show that even mild hearing loss can triple your risk of falling. That risk goes up 140% for each additional 10 dB loss. Increased cognitive load from attempting to understand speech, reduced spatial awareness and inner ear inflammation of the vestibular nerve are among the possible causes behind the connection.
Luckily, hearing aids can help minimize the impact of mild hearing loss.
Starting Treatment Early
Hearing aids are remarkable tools that feature a microphone to pick up sound, a processor to amplify the volume and a speaker to deliver the new sound directly to your ears. They can help you reconnect with your partner and loved ones and reduce your cognitive load to save energy for the fun things in life.
While the relationship between hearing aid adoption and decreased fall risk still requires further research, the reduced cognitive load and improved spatial awareness they provide can help minimize distractions that prevent you from staying steady on your feet.
Don’t wait another moment to enjoy the benefit of hearing aids. Contact Hampton Roads ENT ~ Allergy today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.