Your body is a lot like an ecosystem. In nature, if something happens to the pond, all of the birds and fish suffer the consequences; and when the birds go away so too do all of the animals and plants that depend on those birds. We may not know it but our body works on very comparable principals. That’s the reason why something that appears isolated, such as hearing loss, can be connected to a large number of other ailments and diseases.
This is, in a sense, evidence of the interdependence of your body and it’s resemblance to an ecosystem. Your brain might also be impacted if something affects your hearing. These situations are known as comorbid, a term that is specialized and indicates when two conditions affect each other but don’t always have a cause and effect connection.
We can find out a lot about our bodies’ ecosystem by understanding ailments that are comorbid with hearing loss.
Hearing Loss And The Disorders That Are Associated With it
So, let’s assume that you’ve been noticing the symptoms of hearing loss for the past few months. You’ve been having a hard time making out conversation when you go out to eat. Your television’s volume is getting louder and louder. And some sounds just seem a bit more distant. It would be a smart choice at this point to set up an appointment with a hearing specialist.
Your hearing loss is connected to a number of health problems whether your aware of it or not. Some of the health ailments that have reported comorbidity with hearing loss include:
- Vertigo and falls: your inner ear is your main tool for balance. Vertigo and dizziness can be caused by some types of hearing loss because they have a damaging influence on the inner ear. Any loss of balance can, naturally, cause falls, and as you get older, falls will become significantly more dangerous.
- Dementia: neglected hearing loss has been connected to a higher risk of dementia, although the root cause of that relationship is not clear. Many of these cases of dementia and also cognitive decline can be reduced, according to research, by using hearing aids.
- Diabetes: likewise, diabetes can have a negative affect on your nervous system all over your body (especially in your extremities). the nerves in the ear are particularly likely to be damaged. Hearing loss can be entirely caused by this damage. But diabetes-related nerve damage can also make you more susceptible to hearing loss caused by other issues, often compounding your symptoms.
- Depression: social separation associated with hearing loss can cause a whole range of issues, some of which relate to your mental health. So it’s not surprising that study after study confirms depression and anxiety have very high comorbidity rates with hearing loss.
- Cardiovascular disease: hearing loss and cardiovascular conditions are not always connected. In other cases, cardiovascular issues can make you more subject to hearing loss. The reason for this is that trauma to the blood vessels of the inner ear is one of the first symptoms of cardiovascular disease. As that trauma escalates, your hearing could suffer as an outcome.
Is There Anything That You Can do?
When you add all of those related health conditions added together, it can look a little scary. But it’s worthwhile to keep one thing in mind: enormous positive impact can be gained by dealing with your hearing loss. While researchers and scientists don’t exactly know, for instance, why hearing loss and dementia show up together so often, they do know that dealing with hearing loss can substantially lower your risk of dementia.
So the best course of action, no matter what comorbid condition you may be concerned about, is to get your hearing tested.
Part of an Ecosystem
This is why health care professionals are rethinking the importance of how to manage hearing loss. Your ears are being considered 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 interconnected environment in other words. Hearing loss doesn’t necessarily arise in isolation. So it’s important to pay attention to your health as a whole.