The Connection Between Hearing Loss And Overall Physical Health

Hearing loss can seem like an isolated condition that only affects the ears – and sometimes it is. However, it can also reflect more systemic health issues. For instance, research indicates that people with hearing loss are at a higher risk of dementia, depression and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, hearing loss can reduce the inclination to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors, including jogging, running and other physical activities.

Balance Problems

Your ears are responsible for helping you maintain balance and coordination. They contain fluid-filled structures called semicircular canals that sense the movement and position of your head. Most of the time, these work perfectly, helping you keep your balance by sending signals to your brain, along with sound and visual information.

However, when you have hearing loss, you lose the acoustic information, reducing the amount of data your brain has available to orient you in space. Consequently, you can become more prone to falls, injuries and accidents. Research backs up this finding. For instance, a Johns Hopkins University study found that individuals aged 40-69 with mild hearing loss were three times more likely to report falling than the general population.

Mobility Issues

A second consequence of hearing loss is a reduction in mobility. Being hard of hearing makes walking safely and confidently harder in different environments. For example, you may have difficulty hearing traffic sounds, warning signals, or other people’s voices when crossing the street or navigating crowded places. Psychologically, you might also inadvertently reduce your physical activity for fear of falling, leading to social isolation.

Critically, hearing loss does not directly affect your ability to walk (unless you have problems with your semicircular canals). But it can take its toll on you mentally, increasing the chances you will want to stay at home.

Decline in Mental Functioning

Hearing loss can also cause a reduction in mental and cognitive functioning, especially in older adults. Your brain constantly processes and filters sound and sensory changes from your environment. When you have hearing loss, it has to work harder to make sense of the reduced or distorted auditory input. Researchers believe this additional cognitive load might impact other brain-related tasks, such as memorization, reasoning and paying attention to your surroundings. This so-called “crowding out” effect could explain why otherwise healthy people with hearing loss lose some of their cognitive capacity over time.

For patients living with hearing loss, dementia is also a significant risk. Several studies show a link between the two conditions. For instance, Johns Hopkins University found that mild hearing loss doubles the risk of getting the disease, while moderate hearing loss triples it. In the study, researchers hypothesized that hearing loss accelerates brain atrophy, enhancing the severity of cognitive loss over time.

Cardiovascular Disease

Interestingly, causality can work the other way. While hearing loss can reduce mental functioning, balance and mobility, other diseases can cause hearing loss.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a good example of this phenomenon in action. Research finds that individuals with atherosclerosis and other conditions are more likely to experience loss of hearing compared to healthy controls. Theories suggest poor heart health damages the tiny blood vessels of the inner year, reducing the capacity of the ear’s machinery to function reliably. Blood and oxygen can’t access delicate tissues, causing them to degrade.

With that said, more research is needed. Scientists are still trying to tease out the relationship between hearing loss and CVD and determine if it is causal.

How to Protect Your Hearing

Fortunately, there are several ways you can protect your hearing and reduce your risk of hearing loss. The best way to look after your ears is to wear earbuds, plugs, or muffs to block out loud sounds at work. These reduce the energy of incoming sound by around 15 to 30 decibels, depending on the quality of protection you buy.

You can also protect your hearing by avoiding loud noises and covering your ears with your hands if the volume rises too high. Hearing health professionals recommend against listening to music through earbuds at high volume or going to loud concerts and events unprotected.

Get a Hearing Checkup

If you’re worried about your hearing health, then come for a hearing checkup at Park Place Hearing Center. Our hearing instrument specialists can fit hearing aids to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and other conditions associated with hearing loss. Call now at (707) 283-7853 for more information.