The regrettable truth is that as people grow older, their hearing will begin to fail. However, since hearing loss is anticipated, many people simply decide to deal with the situation rather than seek help. Beyond how well the person can hear, disregarding hearing loss can have some severe side effects. In a study conducted by the AARC, more than one-third of senior citizens think that hearing loss is a minor issue that can be managed easily, while the price was a worry for more than a half of those who took part in the study. These costs, people do not realize, can go up astronomically when they take into account the severe adverse reactions and ailments that can potentially be brought on by neglecting their symptoms. Here are some of the most likely adverse side effects of ignoring hearing loss.
Fatigue
It is natural that people do not immediately connect the dots from fatigue to hearing loss, because the two seem vastly unrelated. They may justify it by saying that they are slowing down due to getting older or as side-effects of medication. However, if the brain has to work extra hard to hear, it can deplete the body’s physical resources. If the person feels fatigued after the person needs to be focused entirely on a task for long periods of time, it might be reduced hearing. The same situation occurs when the brain struggles to hear: it works towards filling in the blanks missing in conversations which is even more difficult when there is enough background noise, which in turn uses up precious energy attempting to process the exchange. Looking after yourself requires a lot of energy, which you would not have with this kind of exhaustion. You can avoid life-essential activities such as working out or eating healthy.
Cognitive Decline
Hearing loss has been connected to accelerated brain tissue loss, diminished brain functions, and even dementia. Even though these are not directly caused by the hearing loss, they may be correlations. Scientists believe that the more frequently a patient needs to fill in conversational blanks, the less attention they give to other things like comprehension and memorization. As people grow older, an additional dependence on cognitive resources can accelerate the decline of other brain functions and worsen the loss of gray matter. One of the ways to overcome this is engaging in the regular exchange of information and ideas, primarily through conversation, which is thought to help senior citizens stay mentally fit and help slow down the process of cognitive decline. A link does exist between hearing loss and deterioration in cognitive function, and this is encouraging for future research since hearing as well as cognitive specialists can collaborate to narrow down the factors and work together to develop treatment options for such ailments.