New Studies Link Hearing Loss and Depression

If you are a person that suffers from hearing impairment, then you will need to know more about the dangers that are posed by having hearing loss. A new study has found that people who suffer from hearing loss are more likely to have depression. Depression is one of the most sinister diseases that a person can get throughout their life, and more people are at risk that ever before. Here we will take a look at the study, ways to prevent hearing loss, and how hearing loss can occur through depression.

The Study

He research study that revealed the correlation between hearing loss and depression was investigated by people at the Institute for Deafness and other Communication Disorders. They found that people who were under the age of 70 and had hearing loss had an incredibly high incidence of depression compared to those without hearing loss. They also discovered that this did not apply to those over the age of 70.

The research project used 18,000 different people from across the United States and from all manner of backgrounds. They each had to take a test to determine their hearing level before they were able to move on to the next step. With all of their hearing accounted for, they were given a test that is designed to reveal any hints of depression in an individual.

Preventing Hearing Loss

For people who suffer from hearing loss, it is paramount to protect the hearing that you have left. For everyone else, it is crucial to protect your hearing throughout your life by avoiding all different manner of loud noises that you can be exposed to. This can involve not going to as many different noisy areas like concerts as you would normally. However, it cannot be expected that you will be able to avoid all noisy areas, so it is important for you to be able to protect your hearing by using protective equipment. Using ear plug and noise cancelling headphones will decrease your risk of hearing impairment and associated illnesses.

How Depression Can Occur

Imagine that you are not able to have conversations with people, or when you do, they are drowned out to the point where you have to just nod your head and act like you understood. This is how many people with hearing loss have to live their daily lives. As a result of this and not being able to take part in different hobbies, people can become withdrawn and isolated from the world, resulting in depression. Other researchers conjecture that hearing loss causes brain damage, and that this is a mechanism for depression, but more investigation on the topic needs to be complete.