Social Isolation and Hearing Loss | How It Can Increase Your Risk of Mortality

As we age, looking after our mental health is important. It’s even more important when you’re suffering from a hearing loss. As an isolating condition, it’s easy to become displaced or lose confidence when your communication is hindered.

When you lose your hearing, you can lose confidence in yourself. Withdrawing from talking in large groups or from going out at all can have a huge impact on your well-being.

Here at South Shore Hearing Center, we take pride in keeping up with all of the latest hearing news. Whether that be the latest technology and how it impacts you or new studies released on how hearing loss impacts your health.

For example, a recent study published on CNN Health investigated the links between social isolation and an increased risk of mortality and found some staggering results.

The study highlighted the serious health implications of loneliness and social isolation on the body and reached the conclusion that those who experience social isolation have a 32% higher risk of dying early.

So, how does this affect you, and what can you do about it?

What Are Your Risks?

One of the main challenges those with a hearing loss face is loneliness.

Whether you’re struggling to keep up in loud places or big groups or feeling lonely in your diagnosis, it’s important to understand your hearing loss and get the proper care to ensure your quality of life is improved.

Surprisingly, a lot of people who suffer from a hearing loss are reluctant to seek out professional help – an average of seven years from noticing a hearing issue to the point of seeking treatment.

With so many people facing a hearing challenge, it’s concerning to know that many delay treatment, when early intervention truly is key. There are many reasons you might hold off from seeking help, and we’ve found that there are two key issues that stand in the way.

Both the stigma from wearing hearing aids and the financial burden they imply can be enough to put anyone off. However, very few who do seek the hearing care they need regret taking that first step to better hearing.

Our patients were more than happy to share their positive experiences with us and their journey to better hearing. If you’d like to read some of their inspiring stories, you can find them here.

How We Can Help You

With a team of experts and an insurance specialist on hand to help, we’ll navigate the murky waters of insurance and ensure you receive all the benefits you’re entitled to.

Communication is key to combatting loneliness and your hearing care is an integral part of that. Getting your ears tested sooner rather than later can have an incredible impact on your quality of life, reconnecting you with the people you care about.