Your body is a lot like an ecosystem. In nature, all of the birds and fish will be affected if something happens to the pond; and all of the plants and animals that rely on the birds will disappear if the birds disappear. The human body, often unbeknownst to us, functions on very comparable principles of interconnectedness. That’s why something which seems to be isolated, like hearing loss, can be linked to a wide variety of other ailments and diseases.
In a sense, that’s simply more evidence of your body’s ecosystem-like interdependence. When something affects your hearing, it may also impact your brain. These conditions are identified as comorbid, a fancy (and specialized) label that illustrates 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 ailments that are comorbid with hearing loss.
Hearing Loss And The Disorders That Are Linked to it
So, let’s assume that you’ve been noticing the signs of hearing loss for the past few months. It’s harder to follow discussions in restaurants. The volume of your television is constantly getting louder. And some sounds seem so far away. It would be a smart choice at this point to set up an appointment with a hearing professional.
Your hearing loss is connected to several health issues whether your aware of it or not. Comorbidity with hearing loss has been documented with the following health ailments.
- Diabetes: likewise, diabetes can wreak havoc with your entire body’s nervous system (particularly in your extremities). one of the areas especially likely to be damaged are the nerves in the ear. Hearing loss can be wholly caused by this damage. But diabetes-related nerve damage can also make you more vulnerable to hearing loss caused by other factors, often compounding your symptoms.
- Depression: social isolation brought on by hearing loss can cause a whole host of issues, some of which are related to your mental health. So anxiety and depression, not surprisingly, have been found 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. Vertigo and dizziness can be created by some forms of hearing loss because they have a negative affect on the inner ear. Falls are progressively more dangerous as you age and falls can happen whenever there is a loss of balance
- Cardiovascular disease: sometimes hearing loss doesn’t have anything to do with cardiovascular conditions. In other instances, cardiovascular issues can make you more subject to hearing loss. The explanation for this is that trauma to the blood vessels of the inner ear is one of the first signs of cardiovascular disease. Your hearing might suffer as a result of the of that trauma.
- Dementia: untreated hearing loss has been linked to a higher risk of dementia, although it’s unclear what the root cause is. Research shows that wearing a hearing aid can help impede cognitive decline and decrease a lot of these dementia risks.
Is There Anything That Can be Done?
When you stack all of those related health conditions on top of each other, it can seem a little scary. But one thing should be kept in mind: huge positive impact can be gained by dealing with your hearing loss. While scientists and researchers don’t exactly know, for instance, why dementia and hearing loss show up together so often, they do know that dealing with hearing loss can significantly lower your risk of dementia.
So no matter what your comorbid condition may be, the best course of action is to get your hearing checked.
Part of an Ecosystem
This is why health care professionals are rethinking the importance of how to treat hearing loss. Instead of being a somewhat limited and targeted area of concern, your ears are seen as closely connected to your general wellbeing. In a nutshell, we’re starting to perceive the body more like an interconnected environment. Hearing loss doesn’t necessarily happen in isolation. So it’s more relevant than ever that we pay attention to the totality, not to the proverbial pond or the birds in isolation, but to your health as a whole.