Do you feel anxious all the time? Do you find it hard to concentrate and focus on what others are saying? If so, there might be a good reason for your symptoms. A recent study found that people with hearing loss often experience anxiety and depression. This is because when we can’t hear well, we don’t know if someone said something to us or not, and this causes stress.
Hearing Loss Increase Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety is a mental health disorder that affects millions of people in the United States. While there are many possible causes of anxiety, hearing loss may be one of them. A study published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery found that adults with hearing loss were nearly two times more likely to report anxiety symptoms than those without hearing loss.
The study looked at data from over 12,000 participants who tested their hearing and completed a questionnaire about their anxiety levels. The results showed that adults with mild, moderate or severe hearing loss were almost twice as likely to have anxiety symptoms than those without any hearing loss.
Why Does Hearing Loss Increase Anxiety?
There are several potential reasons why hearing loss might lead to increased levels of anxiety. One theory is that when people cannot hear well, they compensate by being more sensitive to the visual aspect of their surroundings. This heightened focus on what others are doing or saying can cause a sense of anxiety, even in low-stress situations.
Another possibility is that hearing loss may lead to social isolation and feelings of loneliness. For example, when you have trouble understanding conversations going on around you, it’s easy to feel isolated from your loved ones and not part of the group. Feeling lonely then results in increased levels of stress which can manifest as an anxiety disorder.
In addition, another study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that older adults with both mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and hearing problems were three times more likely to develop dementia than those without either condition. MCI is a condition that causes problems with memory, thinking and judgment. The study’s authors believe that the combination of hearing loss and MCI may lead to increased levels of anxiety which can, in turn, increase the risk for dementia.
How Feeling Anxious Contributes to Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can be caused by many factors. It’s important to understand the reason for your hearing loss to help you figure out how to treat it. There are times where certain anxiety disorders or other mental conditions could be at play with your tinnitus and hearing difficulties. If this is the case, then treating those issues may also improve your tinnitus symptoms and poor hearing ability.
Here are some reasons why feeling anxious might contribute to losing your sense of sound:
- Sometimes people hear ringing or buzzing in their ears when they’re stressed out or nervous about something, which triggers these associated feelings.
- This kind of noise isn’t coming from within our ear canal but rather just inside our heads instead – creating an inner ear noise.
- This phantom sound can be loud and intrusive, making it difficult to concentrate or focus on anything else.
Different Types of Treatments
Suppose you’ve been struggling with both tinnitus and poor hearing ability, and you also feel like your levels of anxiety have been higher than usual as of late. In that case, it might be worth talking to your hearing health professional about the possibility of an underlying anxiety disorder.
There are many different types of treatment available for people who experience these conditions, including:
- Medications
- Therapy
- Self-help techniques
It’s important to find what works best for you because many options are available for people living with tinnitus and hearing loss.
The Relationship Between Anxiety and Hearing Loss
There’s scientific evidence that hearing loss and anxiety are connected. Here’s what you need to know about this surprising relationship:
- Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness or fear that can be mild or severe. It’s a natural response to stress, but when it becomes chronic or debilitating, it can interfere with your quality of life.
- Hearing loss is the partial or total inability to hear sound. There are many different types of hearing loss, and it can occur gradually or suddenly. Millions of people around the world suffer from some degree of hearing loss.
- So, what’s the link between anxiety and hearing loss? Studies have shown that there is a correlation between the two conditions. In fact, one study found that people with hearing loss were almost twice as likely to experience anxiety as those without any hearing issues.
Whatever the reason, it’s important to be aware of the connection between hearing loss and anxiety. There are treatments available for both conditions, so there’s no need to experience in silence.
If you think you might have hearing loss, get tested by a hearing health professional. They can help identify the type and severity of your hearing loss and recommend the best course of treatment. Don’t let anxiety keep you from living your best life – get help today! Call Hear Again America at (877) 905-9493 to learn more.