Health Issues a Hearing Test Can Uncover
Most people wait an average of seven years before getting help for their hearing, but putting it off doesn’t just mean missing conversations. Untreated hearing loss has been linked to cognitive decline, anxiety, depression, and an increased risk of falls. The good news is that a hearing test is painless, easy, and possibly covered by insurance, and it can reveal a lot more than just how well you hear.
At Independence Hearing, our doctoral-level audiologists can help you understand what your hearing test results mean for your overall health.
Heart Health and Circulation
The inner ear is supplied by a single, tiny blood vessel, which makes it one of the first things affected by poor circulation, blood pressure issues, or heart disease. Because of that, changes in your hearing can sometimes be one of the earliest signs that something’s going on with your cardiovascular health.
Meniere’s Disease
Meniere’s disease causes an imbalance of fluid in the ear, which makes you dizzy, nauseous, and can bring on tinnitus. A hearing test is often one of the first steps toward identifying it.
Paget’s Disease
Paget’s disease is a bone disorder in which the skull grows larger than it should, causing pain in the head, nerves, joints, and bones. It has a strong association with hearing loss, making a hearing test a useful early clue.
Acoustic Neuroma
An acoustic neuroma is a benign, slow-growing tumor on the nerve that connects your inner ear to your brain. It typically causes hearing loss in just one ear, along with tinnitus or balance problems on that same side. Because this kind of one-sided, unexplained hearing change is one of the clearest signs something more should be looked into, a hearing test that shows asymmetry between your two ears can prompt a referral for further imaging.
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sometimes hearing loss shows up suddenly, over a day or two, usually in just one ear. This is considered a medical emergency, since early treatment gives you the best chance at recovering your hearing. If this happens to you, seek medical care right away rather than waiting for a scheduled appointment.
Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
In some people, the immune system mistakenly attacks the inner ear, causing hearing loss that fluctuates or worsens rapidly over weeks or months. Because this condition can often be treated with prompt medical care, catching it early through a hearing test can make a real difference.
Other Health Issues Related to Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is also connected to several other health conditions:
- Diabetes. Hearing loss occurs almost twice as often in adults who have diabetes than those who don’t.
- Dementia. The severity of hearing loss is closely related to the risk of dementia.
- Vision Loss. Untreated hearing loss combined with vision loss significantly increases your risk of falls.
- Ototoxicity. More than 100 classes of commonly used over-the-counter drugs and prescriptions can cause damage to the inner ear.
- Kidney Disease. 54% of adults with chronic kidney disease have hearing loss, possibly caused by toxins related to kidney failure.
What This Means for You
Given the connections between hearing loss and your overall health, it pays to get hearing tests on a regular basis, not just when you notice a problem. Our doctoral-level audiologists can help you understand what your results mean and, when something looks like it needs a closer look from your physician, help point you in the right direction.
Call us at (772) 248-4172 to schedule your hearing test with our expert team today.