{"id":457,"date":"2020-05-21T19:32:58","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T19:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torranceaudiology.com\/?p=457"},"modified":"2020-05-21T19:32:58","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T19:32:58","slug":"mental-health-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torranceaudiology.com\/mental-health-awareness\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Health Awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and social distancing make this a challenging time for all. For those with untreated hearing loss, who are at an even greater risk of developing mental health issues, raising awareness and developing a coping strategy is key.<\/p>\n
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A\u00a0report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine<\/a>\u00a0and sponsored by AARP Foundation found that about 25 percent of those over the age of 65 lack social contact with others. This number is exacerbated by hearing loss.<\/p>\n Seniors with untreated hearing loss can become frustrated when trying to hear and understand in noisy situations. As a result, they begin avoiding activities, people and places they once enjoyed. One study found that people with untreated hearing loss are significantly less likely to participate in social activities than those who use hearing aids.<\/p>\n Loneliness and social isolation can lead to serious health problems, including:<\/p>\n Untreated hearing loss has been linked with an increased risk of depression. This connection makes sense as hearing loss can make communicating difficult, which in turn can lead to social isolation, stress and fatigue.<\/p>\n One study by the National Council on Aging looked at more than 2,300 people and found that those with hearing loss were 50 percent more likely to experience feelings of sadness and depression. A 2014 study<\/a> conducted by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders determined that more than 11 percent of those with hearing loss also had depression as compared to only five percent in the general population.<\/p>\n Untreated hearing loss has long been linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline. Some suspect that untreated hearing loss can reorganize the brain, shrinking the underused areas to devote them to other tasks. This results in a reduction in brain functions such as short-term memory problems or issues with problem-solving skills.<\/p>\n Dr. Frank Lin, at Johns Hopkins University, has conducted a number of studies looking at the connection between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline. His 2011 study<\/a> monitored the cognitive abilities of participants for more than 12 years. They found that the worse participants\u2019 hearing loss was at the start of the study, the more likely they were to develop dementia.<\/p>\n\n
Depression<\/h2>\n
Cognitive Decline<\/h2>\n