Hearing damage is not only about the ear but also about the psyche

When about hearing loss We talk, we tend to think that this is just about our ears: someone is watching the TV too loud, often asks back, or not heard the phone ringing. However, according to an experienced audiologist, the reality is much more complex, and hearing impairment is at least as challenging psychologically as medically.

In more than 20 years of audiologist, I have learned that hearing loss rarely speaks only about the ear. It is also about identity, emotions and efforts. And for many people this is the harder part – states Bill Hodgetts the theConversation.comin his article.

According to the expert, he met hundreds of people who did not dare to ask for help as an audiologist but also as a university professor. He thinks most are not postponed To use the hearing aidbecause they cannot afford to buy them, but because they are difficult to – or not at all – to be emotionally accepted that some fundamental thing has changed.

As Hodgetts writes, they are afraid of what this new situation tells them: they have become old, lost « control » and need a hearing aid.

Hearing damage is just as psychological as a medical trip. And maybe if more people would understand this, they would feel less alone and would be more willing to take the first step The expert remarked.

The hearing Its deterioration is insidious, as it does not occur from one moment to another. At first it only occurs in little things, but over time we start to avoid conversations and gradually move away from the community, but It affects not only our social life but also to our brains. According to research, the brain is doing serious extra work to interpret incomplete sounds, which can lead to mental fatigue and then cognitive decline.

Imagine trying to read a book in a dim room. It can be done, but it requires more concentration. Such is the hearing for those who are hearing, especially in a noisy environment. The brain is overtime to fill out the blank slots Bill Hodgets pointed out.

A study by Johns Hopkins University Achieve that hearing loss can be reduced by up to 50%in older adults in older adults. All this means that Not only do hearing aids help with hearing, they also actively contribute to the preservation of mental health. Although aging is not stopped, social and cognitive load is reduced.

We need to take this step for ourselves

So hearing loss is not weakness, but a new chapter that requires courage, but whoever starts this path does something really valuable for himself. And this is much more than what a hearing aid could ever return: we can hear the world and our inner voice again.

I know it’s hard to ask for help. But asking for help does not mean that you are broken. Means you take over control – emphasizes the expert, who warns everyone to have hearing problems, examine his hearing.