These Diseases Have Been Connected to Hearing Loss

Your body and an ecosystem have some similarities. In nature, if something happens to the pond, all of the birds and fish suffer the consequences; and all of the plants and animals that depend on the birds will disappear if the birds disappear. The human body, frequently unbeknownst to us, works on very similar methods of interconnectedness. That’s why a large number of ailments can be connected to something that at first seems so isolated like hearing loss.

This is, in a sense, evidence of the interdependence of your body and it’s resemblance to an ecosystem. When something affects your hearing, it might also impact your brain. These conditions are identified as comorbid, a fancy (and specialized) term that illustrates a link between two disorders without necessarily articulating a cause-and-effect relationship.

The conditions that are comorbid with hearing loss can tell us a lot regarding our bodies’ ecosystems.

Diseases Associated With Hearing Loss

So, let’s suppose that you’ve been recognizing the signs of hearing loss for the last several months. You’ve been having a difficult time making out what people are saying when you go out for a bite. The volume of your television is getting louder and louder. And certain sounds just feel a little more distant. At this point, most people will set up an appointment with a hearing specialist (this is the wise thing to do, actually).

Your hearing loss is connected to several health issues whether your aware of it or not. Comorbidity with hearing loss has been reported with the following health problems.

• Diabetes: similarly, diabetes can have a negative affect on your nervous system all over your body (particularly in your extremities). the nerves in the ear are especially likely to be damaged. This damage can cause hearing loss all on its own. But your symptoms can be multiplied because diabetes related nerve damage can make you more prone to hearing loss from other factors.
• Depression: a whole range of issues can be caused by social isolation because of hearing loss, many of which relate to your mental health. So depression and anxiety, not surprisingly, have been found in several studies, to have a high rate of comorbidity with hearing loss.
• Dementia: a higher chance of dementia has been linked to hearing loss, although the underlying cause of that relationship is uncertain. Many of these incidents of dementia and also cognitive decline can be reduced, according to research, by wearing hearing aids.
• Vertigo and falls: your inner ear is your primary tool for balance. There are some forms of hearing loss that can wreak havoc with your inner ear, resulting in dizziness and vertigo. Any loss of balance can, naturally, cause falls, and as you age, falls can become increasingly dangerous.
• Cardiovascular disease: hearing loss and cardiovascular disease aren’t always connected. But sometimes hearing loss can be aggravated by cardiovascular disease. That’s because one of the first signs of cardiovascular disease is trauma to the blood vessels of the inner ear. Your hearing could suffer as a result of the of that trauma.

What’s The Solution?

When you add all of those connected health conditions added together, it can seem a little intimidating. But one thing should be kept in mind: tremendous positive impact can be gained by managing your hearing loss. Even though scientists and researchers don’t exactly know, for example, why hearing loss and dementia so often show up together, they do know that treating hearing loss can significantly lower your dementia risks.

So no matter what your comorbid condition might be, the best way to go is to get your hearing checked.

Part of an Ecosystem

This is why health care specialists are rethinking the importance of how to treat hearing loss. Your ears are being regarded as a part of your overall health profile instead of being a specific and limited concern. In other words, we’re beginning to view the body more like an interconnected ecosystem. Hearing loss isn’t an isolated scenario. So it’s more significant than ever that we pay attention to the entirety, not to the proverbial pond or the birds in isolation, but to your health as a whole.