We live in a world that is continuously bombarded with noise. Our lives are filled with sound from the automobiles we drive to the machinery we work on or pass by during the day.
For most people, this can be harmful to their hearing health and mood! Fortunately, there are several options for these people to receive assistance in regaining their hearing while also enhancing their mental well-being. An expert of hearing aid fitting in Kolkata explains why getting a hearing test can improve your mood significantly if you suffer from hearing issues.
What Effect Does Hearing Ability Have on Mood?
One of the most essential things to understand about hearing loss and its effects on mood is that it is not always easy to recognize in oneself. For example, if a friend or spouse observes that you appear depressed more than usual, there’s a strong probability that this is happening without your knowledge. It might simply feel like one horrible day after another! Anosognosia refers to a lack of self-awareness about how you’re feeling emotionally.
The brain has trouble identifying deficiencies in other cognitive abilities such as memory recall or language processing. According to several pieces of research, those with significant hearing loss are more prone to suffer from sadness and feelings of loneliness, says the expert of an ear machine clinic in Kolkata.
This isn’t only a concern for people who already have hearing loss. It can also be induced by being exposed to noisy situations regularly. For example, construction workers or musicians may notice their mood steadily deteriorating when exposed to high levels of noise for an extended period. This is because while our brains are continually processing sound information, resources that could be employed for other purposes, such as maintaining attention or being optimistic, are depleted.
What Can You Do to Feel Better?
If you’ve been feeling down and out and suspect that your hearing is a factor, you can take three main measures: get a hearing test, wear hearing aids if necessary, and seek therapy.
Have Your Hearing Examined
The first step is to have your hearing tested by an audiologist. They will inform you whether or not there is a problem and what measures you should take next. Even if you don’t believe your hearing has affected your mood, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
If hearing aids are required, use them
According to the expert ofhearing loss treatment in Kolkata, if you discover that you have a hearing issue, the next step is to purchase a set of hearing aids. These gadgets can make all kinds of sounds louder and clearer for people who have hearing loss due to aging or noise. One research even found that those who used hearing aids improved their quality of life and their mood! According to one study, participants reported an increase in happy moods as little as two weeks after using these sorts of gadgets.
Seek professional help
Finally, if hearing loss substantially influences how you feel and the measures listed above don’t appear to be helping, it may be time to seek therapy. Many therapists specialize in assisting clients with emotional issues associated with sensory issues such as hearing loss. They may also assist patients in developing coping techniques for specific situations and long-term methods for dealing with sadness and anxiety!
Many people who experience hearing loss take a long time to seek treatment because of how gradually the condition typically occurs. It can deteriorate slowly over time, presenting only minor symptoms as it worsens, says an expert of a centre of hearing aid reprogramming in Kolkata.
Hearing loss can be caused by various factors, including genetic conditions such as Meniere’s disease, nerve damage and the natural aging process. Whatever the cause is of one’s hearing loss, seeing an audiologist is an essential step towards getting the care they deserve.
It’s critical to arrive prepared for one’s audiology appointment to get the most out of it. One’s mind will most likely be racing with questions, but they may be too nervous or hesitant to ask them during their appointment. That’s why it’s critical to take a few precautions before the appointment to ensure one doesn’t miss a beat!
Gather all of the medical information
According to the specialist of hearing aid fitting in Kolkata, the more information the audiologist has about one’s medical history, the better prepared they will be to make a diagnosis.
One should obtain copies of their medical records and note anything relevant to their hearing loss, including whether they have experienced head trauma or have a family history of the condition.
One should prepare a brief summary of their medical history, including any medications they may be taking and any lifestyle risk factors, such as frequent attendance at clubs or live music venues. It’s also a good idea to make a list of times or places where one’s hearing loss is particularly severe.
Make a list of questions
One’s initial audiology appointment is an excellent time to ask any questions one may have about hearing loss, hearing tests, or hearing aids, says the expert of hearing test in Kolkata. However, it’s easy to forget these questions in the middle of an appointment, so writing them down ahead of time can ensure one gets the answers they need. Some good questions to ask if one is not sure where to begin are:
How severe is my hearing loss?
What is causing my hearing loss?
What can I do to keep my hearing from deteriorating further?
What should I anticipate from my hearing aid?
How long will it take to get accustomed to the hearing aid?
Bringing a friend or partner along
Audiologists are usually polite, professional and warm people, but one might feel more comfortable bringing a friend or family member with them if this is their first visit. In addition to making one feel more at ease, their friend can provide feedback on any hearing loss symptoms they’ve noticed that one may have overlooked, providing a more comprehensive background to the audiologist.
Contact Hearing Plus, a centre of hearing aid reprogramming in Kolkata, if you suffer from hearing loss.
Hearing loss can have several hidden side effects, from emotional effects like depression to physical ones. Hearing loss can decrease spatial awareness and cause the brain to use more resources for hearing and interpreting speech and sound, so fewer resources go toward balance. These factors can make patients with hearing loss more likely to lose their balance and fall.
Studies have shown that 5% of the general population has depression, but 11% of people with hearing loss are depressed. This is most common among adults between the age of 18-69.
Seeking help for both hearing impairment and depression is vital. By comprehending the link and knowing the signs of hearing impairment and depression, one can take the appropriate actions to get the treatment they need. If one remains untreated, they can find themselves developing other, more severe side effects, like cognitive decline and dementia.
Understanding the link
Hearing loss impacts our ability to have conversations. We can struggle to hear what others are saying – especially in locations with a lot of background noise – and can struggle to communicate back. Group conversations can also be challenging. This frustration can make us stressed out and tired and feel socially isolated. This, in turn, can cause depression.
An audiologist can recommend a hearing aid that can help to treat hearing impairment. This can help reduce depression by helping you live a more regular life. Unfortunately, many people fail to realize that they have hearing issues and do not seek therapy. In other cases, people can put off seeking treatment for hearing problems. This can generate both hearing loss and depression to get a lot worse.
Knowing the signs
You can seek appropriate treatment by determining the hearing loss and depression signs.
There are many signs to look out for in the case of hearing loss. Do you find yourself regularly turning up the volume of the TV? Are you repeatedly telling people to repeat themselves or asking people to speak louder? Do you have a particular problem following conversations in crowded places with a lot of background noise? If the answer to these questions is yes, you probably have hearing loss. You can verify this with a hearing test done by an audiologist.
The indications of depression can be more personal but typically include a feeling of despair, a sense of tiredness, a lack of motivation for day-to-day duties, loss of appetite, or problem sleeping. In the case of hearing issues, you may feel a great sense of loneliness and hatred for social interaction due to not understanding people. You may even be encountering relationship troubles due to hearing issues and depression.
What you can do
If depression is the direct impact of hearing loss, you may be able to minimize this depression by seeking out hearing impairment treatment. An audiologist will arrange a hearing test to help measure the extent of the hearing loss to take the proper treatment. An ear machine may be able to help you hear better. There are various types of hearing aids, including devices that can be used to treat tinnitus.
You will feel more confident engaging in social interaction and following conversations more efficiently by hearing more clearly. This may help to relieve symptoms of depression. If you persist in feeling depressed, seeking treatment from a counselor alongside hearing loss treatment could be worth it.
Conclusion
On top of being prescribed an ear machine, there are other things that you can do to make day-to-day life more comfortable and to reduce depression. When meeting up with friends and relatives, pick places with little background noise, so following conversations is less of a struggle. Inform people that you have hearing loss so that they know to speak more slow and clear. By taking these steps and pushing yourself to be more social, you will feel less isolated.
Contact Hearing Plus, a hearing aid centre if you suffer from hearing loss.
Hearing loss cannot always be prevented. However, hearing loss caused by loud noises is avoidable. In the following section, a hearing aid specialist of Hearing Plus explains some simple things one can do to prevent loud noises from permanently damaging their hearing.
Things to do to prevent hearing loss
Avoid loud noises
The best way to avoid noise-induced hearing problems is to keep away from loud noise as much as possible. Typically, noise is considered to be loud enough to damage one’s hearing if:
• They have to raise their voice to talk to other people
• They cannot hear what people nearby are saying
• It hurts their ears
• They have ringing in their ears or muffled hearing afterward
Any noise over 85dB can be harmful, especially if exposed to it for a long time. One can use smartphone apps that measure noise levels, but one should make sure they’re set up (calibrated) appropriately to get a more accurate reading, says the ear machine specialist.
Be cautious while listening to music
Listening to music at high volume through earphones or headphones is one of the top dangers to hearing. To avoid damaging your hearing, one should:
• Use noise-canceling earphones or headphones
• Not listen to music at more than 60% of the highest volume
• Turn the volume up just enough to hear the music comfortably
• Not use headphones or earphones for more than an hour at a time
Even turning the volume a little bit low can significantly reduce one’s risk of hearing loss. One can protect their hearing during loud activities and events by:
• Moving away from sources of loud noises
• Trying to take a break from the noise every 15 minutes
• Giving their hearing about 18 hours to recover after exposure to lots of loud noise
• Wearing earplugs
Take precautions at work
Suppose one gets exposed to loud noises during their work. In that case, they should speak to their human resources (HR) department or occupational health manager.
The employer can make changes to reduce the exposure to loud noise by:
• Switching to quieter equipment if possible
• Providing hearing protection, such as earplugs
• Making sure one can wear any hearing protection they are given
Hearing tests
One should include hearing tests in their annual health check-up. The earlier the hearing problem is diagnosed, the more are the chances of them getting treated. It is recommended for everyone, especially those working in a noisy environment.
Hearing loss affects more than one’s hearing. It also comes with significant mental and emotional effects including changes to one’s self-esteem and how one interacts with others. When people struggle to hear, communication becomes challenging followed by loneliness, sorrow and social isolation. For people struggling with hearing and understanding speech, the idea of being in large groups or noisy situations can become something that brings more anxiety than excitement.
How Hearing Loss Affects Emotional Health
According to the ear machine specialist of Hearing Plus, a hearing aid centre in Kolkata, hearing loss can have a negative impact on one’s emotions. Some of the emotional effects of hearing loss include:
Anger and denial
Losing one’s hearing can bring a drastic change to their everyday life and can be difficult to get used to, causing feelings of anger. It is also expected for people with hearing issues to be in denial about the severity of their hearing problem because it is a shift that is difficult to accept.
Depression and anxiety
Losing one’s hearing can make them feel like they have lost a part of their identity and cause feelings of depression and sadness. Symptoms of depression can include slowed responses, crying, weight changes and disrupted sleeping patterns. Hearing loss can also be anxiety-provoking.
Isolation and social withdrawal
It is common for people with hearing loss to avoid situations where it is difficult to hear to prevent feelings of stress, anxiety and embarrassment. Social withdrawal and isolation can also lead to depression or make the existing symptoms of depression worse.
Fatigue
Losing one’s hearing can make one feel fatigued because straining to hear properly drains more cognitive energy.
Preventions
Prevention is better than cure. If a person takes early precautions, he or she is less likely to develop hearing loss. One can protect their hearing by taking safety measures, such as:
Avoiding loud noises
Avoiding listening to loud music for long periods
Getting their hearing tested
Hearing loss can be handled and treated. The earlier you address the signs of hearing loss, the more likely you are to avoid irreversible hearing impairment. Contact Hearing Plus, a well-known hearing aid center in Kolkata, if you suffer from hearing loss.
