If you are losing your hearing, you are probably learning how to deal with new communication issues. Hearing aids or hearing implants might be able to help you, and you may decide to learn to lip read, or even take sign language classes.
But hearing loss comes with additional risks. If nobody in your family or your social circle has it, you might not know about these new dangers.
You Are at a Higher Risk of Falling
Research shows that people who lost their hearing are much likelier to fall unexpectedly. This is especially dangerous for older adults, or anyone who has brittle bones or impaired mobility.
How can hearing loss cause you to fall?
First, you may have damage in your inner ear. This disrupts both your hearing and your balance.
Another thing to consider is that most people use hearing to navigate their surroundings. If your hearing loss is new, you may experience disorientation, and you might be unable to correctly judge distances.
Additionally, some scientists suggest that cognitive load leads to falls too. Put simply, your brain has a lot more to process than before, since the information it receives from your ears isn’t as clear as it used to be. This makes it more difficult for your brain to keep track of the way you move.
It Becomes a Lot More Dangerous to Navigate Traffic
When you’re moving in traffic, disorientation is a considerably bigger problem than it is at home. You are also in danger of failing to notice warning signals in time. If you have severe hearing loss, you can hire professionals to help you move through traffic, especially if your condition got worse very quickly.
Most people who have hearing loss can drive safely, but it can take a while to get used to it.
Depression
According to the Better Hearing Institute, untreated hearing loss comes with additional risks to your psychological and general health.
Many people go through situational depression when they lose their hearing. Unemployment, financial burdens and social difficulties all contribute to it. Counseling can definitely help with this issue.
