Hearing loss can zap your quality of life and make it difficult to enjoy conversations with friends, movies at the theater, and simple tasks like ordering food at a restaurant.
At Memorial Village Sinus and Hearing in Houston, Texas, Conrad Kyle McCutcheon, MD, FACS, and Mary "Marty" Lippeatt, Au.D., know that hearing loss can indeed pose significant risks beyond difficulty hearing.
Take a moment to learn more about the hidden dangers of hearing loss. If you’re struggling with hearing loss, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for a hearing evaluation.
Several studies — including one published in a 2023 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association — have indicated a link between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline, including dementia.
While the exact mechanisms behind this association are still being studied, it's believed that your brain's cognitive resources are diverted to compensate for the lack of auditory input, which then leaves fewer resources for memory and other cognitive functions.
The good news is that wearing hearing aids can help slow your cognitive decline.
Hearing loss can lead to social isolation and communication difficulties, which in turn can contribute to feelings of loneliness and depression. Struggling to engage in conversations or missing out on social gatherings due to hearing impairment can have a profound impact on your mental health.
If you experience feelings of depression — whether or not you have hearing loss — don’t brush it off. Asking for help is a sign of strength. Lifestyle modifications, medication, and therapy can help alleviate depression.
Addressing the underlying cause of depression, such as hearing loss, can help improve your mental health. You may also find that joining support groups for people with hearing loss can help you cope with your feelings and challenges.
People with hearing loss may be at a higher risk of experiencing falls compared to those with normal hearing. In fact, for every 10 decibels of hearing loss, you have a 140% increased risk of falls.
Hearing loss can decrease spatial awareness, which can then affect your balance. Falling can lead to broken bones, bruises, and hospital stays; falls can also take an emotional toll on older adults.
Difficulty in detecting environmental sounds, such as approaching vehicles, smoke alarms, or other warning signals, can make navigating the physical world more challenging and increase the likelihood of accidents.
The first step is to determine what kind of hearing loss you have: conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, or a combination of the two.
If you have conductive hearing loss, Dr. McCutcheon determines what’s stopping the soundwaves from reaching your inner ear and may:
Sensorineural hearing loss — and noise-induced hearing loss falls into this category — is usually permanent, but hearing aids can help restore some sound.
Dr. Lipeatt conducts a comprehensive hearing evaluation and then reviews your hearing aid options.
At Memorial Village Sinus and Hearing, our team offers behind-the-ear hearing aids with the receiver in the ear canal, in-the-ear hearing aids, and completely-in-the-canal hearing aids.
In addition to wearing hearing aids, you can take other steps to mitigate the dangers of hearing loss. This includes only crossing the street at crosswalks and using safety devices, such as smoke alarms that also flash lights. Look for a label that indicates it’s ADA certified for the hearing impaired on products you choose.
If you suspect that you’re losing your hearing, don’t wait for it to get worse. To schedule your consultation with the team at Memorial Village Sinus and Hearing, click here or give us a call at 281-822-3777.
