Every 5,000 miles you visit Magic Mike’s Automotive in Sandy Springs to get the oil changed in your car, and every six months you visit your dentist for a cleaning. So why don’t you get regular hearing checkups?
Despite hearing loss being common – affecting approximately 48 million people across the nation – only about one in five people who could benefit from hearing aids actually wears them. This is likely in part due to the fact that the average person waits seven to 10 years to seek treatment for their hearing loss.
Below we review why you should get regular hearing checkups.
Untreated Hearing Loss Has Negative Health Effects
Perhaps the biggest reason you should get regular hearing checkups is that if left untreated, hearing loss can have serious consequences.
Social Isolation, Loneliness & Depression
A study by the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam on the psychosocial impact of hearing loss in adults under 70 found that poor hearing is associated with higher rates of distress, depression and loneliness
Falls
A Johns Hopkins study published in 2012 found that hearing loss is significantly associated with the odds of falling. For every 10 dB increase in hearing loss, there is a 1.4-fold increased risk of falling.
Hospitalizations
Another Johns Hopkins study found that older adults with hearing loss are more likely to require hospitalizations than normal-hearing peers. The same study also found that this population is 36% more likely to have prolonged stretches of illness or injury, and 57% more likely to experience episodes of deep stress, depression or bad mood.
Cognitive Decline/Dementia
Untreated hearing loss has a strong link to cognitive decline and dementia. According to a 2011 Johns Hopkins study, those with mild hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia compared to those with normal hearing, people with moderate hearing loss are three times as likely, and people with severe hearing loss are five times as likely.
Hearing Tests Are Quick & Easy
You can take a hearing screening online for free. If it indicates you are at risk of hearing loss, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with an audiologist for a full hearing test. Hearing tests are painless, non-invasive and typically take less than an hour. For more information about the risks of untreated hearing loss or to schedule an appointment for a hearing test with an expert audiologist, call Advanced Hearing today.
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