Hearing Health and Healthy Aging
Happy Healthy Aging Month! Every year, September is a welcome reminder that we should continue to think about ways to prioritize and safeguard our health as we age. Even though Americans live longer than ever before, many older adults today face chronic illnesses and physical limitations. However, healthy lifestyle habits and practices can reduce the risk of developing these conditions. That is where hearing health comes in! Believe it or not, hearing health is connected to your physical, emotional, and mental well being. Below, we will break down how hearing relates to our overall health as we age and how taking care of your hearing can prevent and diagnose other aging conditions.
Mental Health: Hearing loss is linked to depression, anxiety, social isolation, and paranoia. Trouble hearing poses many challenges in a person’s day to day life, from hearing the doorbell to communicating with someone at the store. These barriers can significantly impact a person’s quality of life and adversely affect their mental health. Learn more about the link between hearing loss and mental health here.
Heart Health: Did you know that high blood pressure can damage or weaken blood vessels throughout your body and even lead to hearing loss? Because of this, it is essential to consider any changes in your hearing seriously and to talk to your doctor when you notice any hearing loss, as it may be an indication of an even larger problem. Click here to learn more about how heart health impacts your hearing.
Balance: According to the CDC, one out of four older adults falls each year. These incidents can be debilitating and lead to broken bones or even death. One of the risk factors for falling is poor balance, which can be impacted by your hearing. A Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine study found that people with even a mild hearing loss (< 25 dB) are three times more likely to have a history of falling. Because hearing loss can cause balance disorders, it is especially important for older adults experiencing hearing loss to take their symptoms seriously and see an audiologist. You can find more information about the connection between hearing and balance here.
Brain Function: Hearing loss can also harm the brain and cognitive function. Since the brain typically stores sound processing information for up to three years, when people with hearing loss wait longer than that period before seeking medical help, they have to retrain their brain to recognize and process sounds. Also, since the brain processes hearing, hearing loss leads to less brain stimulation and causes deterioration that can lead to conditions like dementia. Click here for more information about how hearing loss affects hearing loss.
Taking care of your hearing health is a meaningful way to prioritize healthy aging. When thinking about your health, it is essential to remember that for your entire body to function properly, each part (I.e., your heart, ears, brain, etc.) must be working correctly. So, it is vital to get regular checkups and pay attention to your health changes. If you are looking for more practices and habits you can implement in your life to help your overall health, check out this blog post. For more tips on hearing health, be sure to follow our Roanoke and Crozet Facebook pages!
