Hearing Loss and Comorbidity
It is not uncommon for a person’s hearing health to be affected by other medical conditions and vice versa. When hearing loss is present at the same time as one of these health concerns, the term comorbidities is often used as it describes the presence of two or more chronic diseases or disorders affecting a person.
Hearing loss is, in fact, a comorbidity that can be connected to several other comorbidities. Those who have difficulty hearing can experience distorted and incomplete communication that seriously impacts their professional and personal lives, putting an individual at risk for isolation and withdrawal.
Six primary comorbid conditions associated with hearing loss are:
Untreated Hearing Loss
Untreated hearing loss affects the brain's ability to remember everyday sounds. When the hearing nerves lose their function and no longer channel sound signals to the brain, the brain can temporarily lose the connection to those sounds until treatment.
Additionally, researchers at Johns Hopkins found that people with impaired hearing lose more brain tissue annually than people with normal hearing. This is most likely due to atrophy from lack of stimulation. This link between hearing loss and cognitive decline reinforces the need to get hearing checked annually and seek treatment if hearing loss is present. Hearing aids are the most effective treatment of hearing loss at all stages.