Your body and an ecosystem are similar in some ways. In nature, all of the birds and fish will be affected if something goes wrong with the pond; and all of the plants and animals that rely on the birds will disappear if the birds disappear. We may not recognize it but our body operates on very similar principals. That’s the reason why a wide variety of diseases can be connected to something which at first appears so isolated like hearing loss.
In a way, that’s simply more proof of your body’s ecosystem-like interdependence. Your brain may also be affected if something affects your hearing. These situations are called comorbid, a name that is specialized and signifies when two conditions affect each other but don’t necessarily have a cause and effect connection.
We can discover a lot concerning our bodies’ ecosystem by comprehending conditions that are comorbid with hearing loss.
Conditions Associated With Hearing Loss
So, let’s suppose that you’ve been noticing the signs of hearing loss for the past few months. It’s more difficult to follow discussions in restaurants. Your television’s volume is constantly getting louder. And some sounds sound so far away. At this point, the majority of people will make an appointment with a hearing specialist (this is the wise thing to do, actually).
Your hearing loss is linked to several health issues whether you recognize it or not. Comorbidity with hearing loss has been documented with the following health problems.
- Dementia: untreated hearing loss has been linked to a higher chance of dementia, though it’s uncertain what the base cause is. Many of these incidents of dementia and also cognitive decline can be reduced, according to research, by wearing hearing aids.
- Depression: social separation brought on by hearing loss can cause a whole host of concerns, many of which are related to your mental health. So it’s not surprising that study after study finds depression and anxiety have really high comorbidity rates with hearing loss.
- Vertigo and falls: your inner ear is your main tool for balance. Vertigo and dizziness can be caused by some forms of hearing loss because they have a negative influence on the inner ear. Any loss of balance can, naturally, cause falls, and as you get older, falls will become significantly more hazardous.
- Diabetes: additionally, diabetes can have a negative affect on your entire body’s nervous system (particularly in your extremities). the nerves in the ear are especially likely to be damaged. This damage can cause loss of hearing by itself. But your symptoms can be multiplied because diabetes related nerve damage can cause you to be more susceptible to hearing loss from other factors.
- Cardiovascular disease: occasionally hearing loss has nothing to connect it with cardiovascular disease. But sometimes hearing loss can be worsened by cardiovascular disease. The reason for this is that trauma to the blood vessels of the inner ear is one of the first symptoms of cardiovascular disease. Your hearing might suffer as a result of the of that trauma.
What Can You Do?
When you stack all of those related health conditions on top of each other, it can look a little scary. But one thing should be kept in mind: huge positive affect can be gained by managing your hearing loss. While researchers and scientists don’t really know, for instance, why hearing loss and dementia so often show up together, they do know that managing hearing loss can substantially lower your dementia risks.
So no matter what your comorbid condition might be, the best course of action is to have your hearing tested.
Part of an Ecosystem
This is why health care professionals are reconsidering the importance of how to treat hearing loss. Your ears are being regarded as a part of your overall health profile instead of being a specific and limited concern. We’re starting to think about the body as an interrelated environment in other words. Hearing loss doesn’t necessarily develop in isolation. So it’s significant to pay attention to your health as a whole.