Hearing loss – it’s generally thought os as a fact of life as we get older. Lots of older Americans suffer from some type of hearing loss or tinnitus, which is a chronic ringing in the ears. But if a condition like this is so accepted, why is it that so many people won’t admit that they deal with hearing loss?

A new study from Canada posits that more than 50 percent of all Canadians middle-aged and older have some kind of hearing loss, but no concerns were reported at all by more than 77% percent of those. In the US, over 48 million people have some kind of hearing loss, but many do not attempt to address it. It’s debatable whether this denial is on purpose or not, but it’s still true that a significant number of individuals let their hearing loss go unchecked – which could lead to considerable issues down the road.

Why is Loss of Hearing Not Recognized by Some people?

It’s a challenging question. It’s a slow process when somebody loses their ability to hear, and trouble understanding people and hearing things go unnoticed. Or, more frequently, they might blame it on something else – they believe everyone is mumbling, volumes aren’t turned up loud enough, or background noise is too high. hearing loss can be blamed, unfortunately, on a number of things, and having a hearing exam or getting checked out, normally, is not a person’s first instinct.

On the other hand, there might be some individuals who know they have hearing loss but refuse to accept it. Another study conducted in the United States shows that lots of seniors who suffer from hearing issues flat out deny it. They mask their problem in any way they can, either because they don’t want to admit to having a problem or because of perceived stigmas associated with hearing loss.

The difficulty is, you may be negatively affecting your overall health by neglecting your hearing loss.

Neglected Hearing Loss Can Have a Devastating Affect

Hearing loss does not exclusively affect your ears – high blood pressure and heart disease have also been connected to hearing loss and also anxiety, depression, and mental decline.

Research has revealed that people who have addressed their loss of hearing with cognitive therapy, changes of diet and hearing aids have better overall health and longer life spans.

It’s important to recognize the signs of hearing loss – trouble carrying on conversations, turning up the volume on the TV and radio, or a persistent ringing or humming in your ears.

How Can You Manage Hearing Loss?

You can control your hearing loss with several treatment options. Hearing aids are the type of treatment that is the most common, and you won’t experience the same kinds of problems that your parents or grandparents did because hearing aid technology has advanced appreciably. Hearing aids now have the ability to filter out background noise and wind, while also wirelessly connecting to devices like your radio, TV, or tablet.

A changing the way you eat could affect your hearing health if you suffer from anemia. Consuming more foods that are high in iron has been found to help people fight tinnitus and loss of hearing since iron deficiency anemia has been demonstrated to result in hearing loss.

Having your hearing examined routinely, however, is the most important thing you can do.

Do you suspect that you’re suffering from hearing loss? Visit us and get tested.