Your body and an ecosystem have some similarities. In nature, all of the fish and birds will be affected if something goes wrong with the pond; and when the birds disappear so too do all of the animals and plants that depend on those birds. We might not know it but our body functions on very similar principals. That’s why something which seems isolated, like hearing loss, can be linked to a large number of other ailments and diseases.
In some respects, that’s just more evidence of your body’s ecosystem-like interdependence. Your brain may also be impacted if something affects your hearing. We call these situations comorbid, a fancy (and specialized) name that demonstrates a link between two conditions without necessarily articulating a cause-and-effect connection.
We can find out a lot about our bodies’ ecosystem by comprehending disorders that are comorbid with hearing loss.
Hearing Loss And The Disorders That Are Connected to it
So, let’s suppose that you’ve been recognizing the signs of hearing loss for the past several months. You’ve been having a tough time making out conversation when you go out to eat. You’ve been turning up the volume on your television. And some sounds just feel a little more distant. It would be a good choice at this point to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist.
Your hearing loss is linked to several health conditions whether you recognize it or not. Comorbidity with hearing loss has been documented with the following health ailments.
- Dementia: neglected hearing loss has been connected to a higher chance of dementia, although the underlying cause of that relationship is not clear. Many of these incidents of dementia and also cognitive decline can be reduced, according to research, by wearing hearing aids.
- Depression: social separation brought on by hearing loss can cause a whole host of concerns, some of which are related to your mental health. So depression and anxiety, not surprisingly, have been shown in study after study, to have a high rate of comorbidity with hearing loss.
- Vertigo and falls: your inner ear is your primary tool for balance. There are some types of hearing loss that can wreak havoc with your inner ear, resulting in dizziness and vertigo. Falls are increasingly dangerous as you age and falls can occur whenever there is a loss of balance
- Cardiovascular disease: hearing loss and cardiovascular conditions aren’t necessarily interconnected. In other instances, cardiovascular issues can make you more susceptible to hearing loss. That’s because one of the first signs of cardiovascular disease is trauma to the blood vessels in the inner ear. Your hearing may suffer as a result of the of that trauma.
- Diabetes: additionally, your whole nervous system can be negatively influenced by diabetes (specifically in your extremities). one of the areas especially likely to be affected are the nerves in the ear. This damage can cause loss of hearing all on its own. But your symptoms can be compounded because diabetes related nerve damage can cause you to be more susceptible to hearing loss from other factors.
What’s The Solution?
It can seem a bit scary when you add all those health conditions together. But one thing should be kept in mind: tremendous positive affect can be gained by dealing with your hearing loss. Though researchers and scientists don’t really know, for example, why dementia and hearing loss show up together so often, they do know that treating hearing loss can substantially lower your dementia risks.
So regardless of what your comorbid condition might be, the best way to go is to have your hearing tested.
Part of an Ecosystem
That’s why more health care specialists are looking at hearing health with new eyes. Instead of being a rather limited and targeted area of concern, your ears are seen as intimately linked to your general wellness. We’re beginning to think about the body as an interconnected environment in other words. Hearing loss doesn’t always happen in isolation. 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.
