Most people understand that living a sedentary lifestyle and smoking is bad for them. But did you know there is intriguing research revealing a connection between untreated hearing loss and premature death?
Personal life expectancy varies widely, of course. This variance can be related to things like where you live, access to healthy foods, healthcare accessibility, type of work, and even gender. But people who suffer from neglected hearing loss seem to die earlier even when you take these differences into consideration.
Studies Linking Early Death to Hearing Loss
Over a two year period, stats from over 50,000 people was examined by Norwegian researchers. They cross-referenced that data with the causes of death for the examined individuals. They were able to link an increased chance of early death to hearing loss irrespective of the cause of death.
Other research reveals that even moderate hearing loss is linked to a 21% greater morbidity rate and that there’s an increased risk of cardiovascular death for individuals with hearing loss, especially if they live by themselves.
Clarifying The Connection
For researchers, just because they find a connection doesn’t mean that a causality is solidly established. Rather, they attempt to establish why the connection exists. What’s the common thread?
The Norwegian study also showed that women and men who were divorced and women with no children were also at greater risk. This seemingly unrelated element indicates that the decrease in life expectancy may be related to social ties.
Previous studies support this presumption. One study published in the Journal of Epidemiology evaluated the data for over half a million individuals. It revealed that social seclusion raises the risk of early death significantly.
How is Longevity Increased by Social Stability?
Much like a pack of wolves or a herd of elephants in the wild, social relationships offer several life-extending benefits to humans:
- Motivation… Having people around can motivate a person to get up, do new things and look forward to their day.
- Support… Someone who doesn’t have a strong social network is more likely to attempt to do something hazardous instead of seeking help.
- Improved diet and health… Getting to doctor’s appointments is easier and healthy food is more immediately available for people who are active socially.
- Mental stimulation… You’re engaging with people in conversation, jokes, sharing, and more.
- Safety… If you require medical help, you will be more likely to get it quickly if there are more people nearby.
- Physical stimulation… You’re more likely to get up and do things if you have people around.
Why does neglected hearing loss stop social participation?
How Hearing Loss Plays A Role in Social Separation And Decreased Longevity
You probably have a very close relationship with your loved ones. How could that be fixed by hearing loss?
Have you ever been in a room full of people you don’t know enjoying the company of each other, but paying no attention to you? It was probably a lonely feeling. You can begin to feel like this with untreated hearing loss. People aren’t necessarily ignoring you. It seems as if you’re being ignored because people are starting to have a hard time having a conversation with you.
You frequently miss parts of the conversation and that makes you feel out of the loop. This can very easily make you withdraw physically and emotionally, even at family get-togethers. The enjoyment of going to a club or restaurant with friends begins to fade away. Simply avoiding these types of situations becomes common. Here are some other concerns that people who have progressing hearing loss cope with.:
- Mental exhaustion
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
Social connections become even more difficult because of these.
The Norwegian researchers offer a silver lining in their research, however. They reached a very important conclusion after examining their research. Purchasing hearing aids can clear away the link between premature death and hearing loss.
Using hearing aids helps you remain active, social, and healthier for a longer period.
This fact can be reinforced by similar research. One such study was conducted by the American Academy of Audiology. They revealed that when people with hearing loss use hearing aids regularly, they have:
- Greater independence
- Stronger relationships with family
- Improved social life outside the home
Neglected Hearing Loss Connected to Premature Death
Premature death and hearing loss have a complicated connection. But an overall picture appears when all of the data is considered. It shows how hearing loss affects health, finances, relationships, and more. So it’s easy to identify why the premature demise connection exists.
It’s also obvious that getting your hearing loss treated can counter the impact of hearing loss on each part of life. You will live a longer, healthier and socially active life.
References
https://www.earth.com/news/hearing-loss-premature-death/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/hearing/news-briefs-does-hearing-loss-boost-death-risk
https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/hearing-loss-risk-factor-premature-death
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwy231
