Connections Between Hearing Loss and Depression
Hearing loss and depression are connected in many ways, and one of the main ones is a sense of isolation. Research shows that making connections with friends and family is essential to psychological well-being, and we all know that hearing is pivotal to interactions.
When an individual’s communication becomes limited due to hearing loss, basic communication can feel exhausting.
This increased effort and exhaustion can result in withdrawal from social activities with friends, family events, religious services, and other activities. Individuals with hearing loss can become isolated from others due to the challenges of communicating effectively.
Social withdrawal can result in feelings of loneliness, frustration, and further isolation. According to research, there is a strong relationship between depression and hearing loss among U.S. adults of all ages (18 and older). 1,2
Hearing Loss & Depression
When left untreated, hearing loss can have a negative effect on your mental health. Losing your hearing ability can drastically impact the way you interact with others. It can also put you at a greater risk for developing mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
Untreated hearing loss can cause you to:
- Frequently repeat yourself
- Feel embarrassed of not
- Hearing information
- Avoid social gatherings
- Spend less time with family and friends
Hearing Aids Can Help
If you are experiencing negative feelings due to hearing loss, there is a solution. Hearing aids can give you the confidence to rejoin the conversation and interact with your loved ones again.
There are many ways hearing aids and assistive living devices can offer benefits that extend to mental health. These include:
1. Improving Overall Wellbeing
Auditory issues relate to more than the progressive loss of the sense of sound. They consider the entire aural system and use ever-advancing technology to restore hearing wellness.
Modern hearing aids can connect wirelessly, letting you feel the voices of grandkids even over a phone call. From preventing the frustration of feedback to addressing tinnitus, managing your hearing health can change your life experience.
2. Reduce Cognitive Decline
Issues with mental capacity, including dementia, Alzheimer’s, and overall cognitive decline, relate directly to hearing loss. It actively uses a large portion of the brain by providing it with stimuli to process. Hearing loss weakens this signal, which weakens the system as a whole. A hearing aid enhances that signal and reestablishes the auditory system.
Just like doing a jigsaw puzzle for visual perception, or a crossword for linguistic skills, hearing keeps your brain on its toes. More important, perhaps, than the hearing itself is the act of listening.
Conversation, whether with someone you love or a stranger in passing, connects you, not only through the act of hearing, but listening, interpreting, and contextualizing. Sound gives meaning to your surroundings, putting you at the center of your experience.
3. Lowered Risk of Depression
Ageing is a natural process, but suffering from depression and hearing loss doesn’t have to go hand-in-hand. When you wear hearing aids, you are making the decision to help yourself.
Maybe you want to listen to a classic rock band. Perhaps it’s hearing your spouse’s voice with authentic clarity. It could be the desire to listen to the patter of rain or waves on the shore. Or maybe it’s simply knowing that you are in tune with your surroundings, whatever they might be. Sound might not cure depression, but getting help for your hearing issues can make a significant difference.
4. Connecting Your Senses
Hearing loss and depression are connected because all your senses work as a team to help you live and experience that life as fully as possible.
Hearing loss and depression are two unfortunate facts of life. While they can both feel isolated, these issues are extremely common.
Hearing aids are certainly not the cure-all for depression, but they can contribute to your quality of life by letting you experience things that bring you joy through sound. The key is understanding, and that begins by considering the physiological and psychological impacts of hearing loss.
Start by contacting Amazing Hearing by email at info@amazinghearing.net or give us a call at 949-667-9818. Book an appointment to learn more about how hearing treatment can help improve your quality of life.
Amazing Hearing
There’s no reason to live with untreated hearing loss. Schedule a hearing test with Amazing Hearing, so you can get help as soon as possible. We provide comprehensive hearing health services, from tests to hearing aid fittings. Contact us today to learn more!
