Your body is similar to an ecosystem. In nature, all of the birds and fish will be affected if something happens to the pond; and when the birds go away so too do all of the plants and animals that rely on those birds. The human body, commonly unbeknownst to us, works on very comparable principles of interconnectedness. That’s why a large number of afflictions can be linked to something which at first seems so isolated like hearing loss.
This is, in a sense, evidence of the interdependence of your body and it’s similarity to an ecosystem. Your brain might also be affected if something affects your hearing. We call these conditions comorbid, a fancy (and specialized) name that demonstrates a connection between two conditions while not necessarily pointing directly at a cause-and-effect relationship.
The conditions that are comorbid with hearing loss can give us lots of information concerning our bodies’ ecosystems.
Diseases Associated With Hearing Loss
So, let’s assume that you’ve been noticing the symptoms of hearing loss for the last few months. It’s more difficult to follow conversations in restaurants. You’ve been turning the volume up on your tv. And some sounds just feel a little more distant. It would be a good choice at this point to make an appointment with a hearing specialist.
Whether you’re aware of it or not, your hearing loss is connected to numerous other health conditions. Comorbidity with hearing loss has been reported with the following health conditions.
- Diabetes: additionally, your whole nervous system can be negatively influenced by diabetes (specifically in your extremities). the nerves in the ear are particularly likely to be harmed. Hearing loss can be fully caused by this damage. But diabetes-related nerve damage can also make you more prone to hearing loss caused by other issues, often adding to your symptoms.
- Depression: social separation associated with hearing loss can cause a whole range of issues, many of which are related to your mental health. So it’s no surprise that study after study confirms depression and anxiety have really high comorbidity rates with hearing loss.
- Dementia: neglected hearing loss has been linked to a higher risk of dementia, although it’s unclear what the base cause is. Many of these cases of dementia and also cognitive decline can be slowed, according to research, by wearing hearing aids.
- Vertigo and falls: your inner ear is your main tool for balance. There are some forms of hearing loss that can play havoc with your inner ear, resulting in dizziness and vertigo. Any loss of balance can, of course, cause falls, and as you get older, falls will become significantly more hazardous.
- Cardiovascular disease: on occasion hearing loss has nothing to connect it with cardiovascular conditions. But at times hearing loss can be worsened by cardiovascular disease. That’s because one of the first symptoms of cardiovascular disease is trauma to the blood vessels of the inner ear. As that trauma gets worse, your hearing may suffer as a result.
What’s The Solution?
When you stack all of those connected health conditions added together, it can look a bit scary. But it’s worthwhile to remember one thing: dealing with your hearing loss can have enormous positive influences. While researchers and scientists don’t really know, for instance, why hearing loss and dementia show up together so often, they do know that treating hearing loss can substantially lower your risk of dementia.
So the best course of action, regardless of what comorbid condition you may be worried about, is to have your hearing checked.
Part of an Ecosystem
This is why health care professionals are reconsidering the importance of how to treat hearing loss. Your ears are being considered as a part of your general health profile rather than being a targeted and limited concern. We’re beginning to consider the body as an interrelated environment in other words. Hearing loss doesn’t always happen in isolation. So it’s more significant than ever that we address the entirety, not to the proverbial pond or the birds in isolation, but to your health as a whole.