Most people recognize that living a sedentary lifestyle and smoking isn’t good for them. But what most people probably don’t know is that there is some convincing research that indicates a connection between early death and untreated hearing loss.
Personal life expectancy varies widely, of course. Access to healthcare, where you live, gender, type of work, and access to healthy food can all be factors in this variance. But people who deal with untreated hearing loss appear to die earlier even when you take these differences into consideration.
Studies Linking Premature Death to Hearing Loss
Over a two year period, data from over 50,000 individuals was evaluated by Norwegian scientists. The cases of death for all the people were cross-referenced with the data. Whatever the cause, premature death could be linked to neglected hearing loss.
The chance of cardiovascular death is greater for those who have hearing loss particularly if they live alone and there is a 21% higher morbidity for individuals with even moderate hearing loss, according to other studies.
Clarifying The Connection
When scientists find a connection, they never assume that one is necessarily producing the other. Rather, they try to determine why the connection exists. What’s the common connection?
In this same research it was revealed that there was an increased risk in women with no kids and women and men who are divorced. This suggests that social life has an impact on longevity.
This assumption is backed by earlier studies. Data from more than half a million individuals was analyzed in a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology. It reported that the chance of early death was significantly raised by social isolation.
How Does Social Stability Increase Longevity?
Much like a pack of wolves or a herd of elephants in the wild, social relationships offer a number of life-extending benefits to humans:
- Improved diet and health… Socially connected people often have greater access to healthy food and can get to doctor’s appointments.
- Mental stimulation… You’re sharing, joking and conversing with others.
- Safety… When there are more people around, there’s a greater chance you’ll get medical attention right away if you need it.
- Physical stimulation… If you have people around you, you’re more likely to engage in physical exercise.
- Motivation… Getting up in the morning, doing new things, and looking forward to their day can be powerfully motivated by having others around.
- Support… Someone who doesn’t have a strong social network is more likely to attempt to do something risky instead of asking for help.
What is it about untreated hearing loss that causes all of this?
Decreased Longevity And Social Isolation Can be The Result of Untreated Hearing Loss
You probably have family who will always be there for you. It’s difficult to envision how hearing loss might change that.
Have you ever been with a group of people you don’t know, who were ignoring you while chatting with each other? You probably felt very lonely. You can start to feel like this with untreated hearing loss. People aren’t necessarily ignoring you. It seems like you’re being ignored because people are starting to have a difficult time having a conversation with you.
On your side of things, you frequently feel out of the loop because you lose parts of the conversation. This can quickly cause you to withdraw physically and emotionally, even at family events. Going out with friends to a restaurant and attending a social club, event or hobby loses its enjoyment. Simply avoiding these types of scenarios becomes common. Additionally, many individuals experiencing worsening hearing loss have:
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- Mental exhaustion
These make social contact even more difficult.
However, in their research, the Norwegian scientists offer a silver lining. They reached a significant conclusion after analyzing their research. The link between early death and hearing loss can be broken by wearing hearing aids.
Wearing hearing aids helps you stay active, social, and healthier for a longer time.
This fact can be supported by similar studies. The American Academy of Audiology conducted one such study. That study revealed that using hearing aids consistently had the following benefits:
- Improved social life outside the home
- Stronger relationships with family
- Greater independence
Neglected Hearing Loss Linked to Early Death
Premature death and hearing loss have a complex connection. But an overall picture emerges when all of the data is taken into account. The effect of hearing loss on health, relationships, and finances is revealed. So it’s easy to recognize why the premature demise link exists.
These studies also make it obvious that managing hearing loss can counter its negative effects. You will live a longer, socially active and healthier 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
