The Link Between Hearing Loss And Depression

Hearing health is massively important, even though a lot of people are not fully educated on how to take care of it. We all think about things like diet and fitness when it comes to taking care of our health, but we don’t often spend time thinking about our ears and how we can take care of them in the best possible way.

One of the things that people often don’t know about those with hearing loss is that there is actually a link between hearing loss and depression. In this article, that’s what we’re going to be exploring, so keep reading if you would like to find out more about this.

Lack of Social Engagement

If you are experiencing hearing loss, then you may find it more difficult to interact with those around you. You may feel like you are missing things, you may struggle to keep up with the conversations that are being had around you or you feel overloaded by all of the sounds while you are trying to concentrate on one. It can be very difficult to engage socially for someone who is experiencing hearing loss, and this can lead to a feeling of social exclusion, leading to depression.

Some people find that they end up giving up trying to communicate with other people, especially if they are in a social setting or if they are getting tired of not catching everything that happens. When this starts to happen, the person will slowly withdraw from social situations, potentially ending in depression as they feel isolated and alone.

Feeling of Being Different

Seeing everyone interact around you with ease can be tough. Missing the level of hearing that you used to have can be tough. Hearing loss can sometimes set you apart from other people, making you feel different because you need some people to make accommodations for you such as speaking slower or speaking louder. There is nothing wrong with this and a lot of people are happy to do whatever they can to make the situation more comfortable for the person with hearing loss, but this doesn’t stop the feeling of being different.

This feeling of being different can cause depression if left unchecked. Sometimes it can feel as though there is a large divide between those people who don’t experience hearing loss and those who do, which can lead to depression.

Lack of Understanding

It is also the case that a lack of understanding about hearing health, what can be done to prevent it, what can be done to treat it and anything else surrounding it can be a cause of depression. If you don’t know why you are losing your hearing, then it can be harder to handle. For example, if there is an underlying health condition that is causing your hearing to deteriorate or you have damaged your ear doing something, at least you know why you’re noticing changes.

However, if you have no idea about hearing health, and if you are just experiencing hearing loss with no understanding of your hearing health, this can be difficult. Talk with your audiologist about your hearing health, to understand your hearing health better. Your audiologist will be able to provide you the right treatment for your hearing loss and personal needs.

What Can Be Done?

So, what can be done? The best thing that you can do if you feel depressed about your hearing loss is to talk about it. There are professionals out there that you can speak to if you want to, you have friends and family members that you can talk to so there are plenty of options. Sometimes you just need to let those negative feelings out and try to focus on some of the positives.

As well as this, there are treatments for certain levels of hearing loss and these can help with depression. If you can get treatment and boost your hearing, you might find that you are experiencing less symptoms, which makes things easier for you. For example, hearing aids are a common treatment for hearing loss and you can speak to an audiologist about these.

If you would like some more information on this, or you are interested in making an active change when it comes to your hearing health, then you can get in touch with Brentwood Hearing Center at (615) 866-0431. Speak to an audiologist, book in a hearing test or generally get your ears checked out to start being more productive in keeping your hearing health in the best possible condition.