For people that suffer from hearing loss, there are more reasons than ever to pay attention to your mental health. This news comes as people from the Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders have come forward to say that people with hearing loss are much more likely to suffer from depression than people with normal hearing. In this article we will take a look at how hearing can affect depression, the study in question, as well as ways to protect your hearing throughout your life.
Hearing And Depression
For many people, this connection seems like something that is very unusual. After all, how can hearing affect the brain? As it turns out, hearing loss can cause brain damage in many people, and this may be a factor in depression. What has already been established as the cause is the simple fact that people with hearing loss are not able to engage in conversations with friends of family, or take part in former activities, which can lead to the person becoming depressed.
The Study
The study that was completed by the researchers at the institute started with a hearing test that was meant to test the baseline hearing of the participants. The participants were between the ages of 18 and 80, with 18,000 people ultimately taking part in the activity. After all of the hearing results were gathered, the people submitted to a test that was meant to show whether or not they had depression.
The results of the study showed that people under the age of 70 had incredibly high rates of both hearing loss and depression, with 11% of people with hearing loss suffering from depression. For the people over the age of 70, they confounded the study badly because they did not suffer from depression despite suffering from hearing loss. More research is looking into the reason behind these results.
Protecting Your Hearing
To avoid all of the different diseases and ailments that have been linked to hearing loss, it is important that you take greater steps to protect your hearing throughout your life. For example, try not to go to as many loud arenas throughout the year. When you do, stand far away from the speakers. Another great way to protect your hearing is to use protection such as ear plugs or ear phones that can nullify sounds. With these ideas in mind, you will be able to keep your hearing in great shape throughout your life, and are less likely to succumb to deafness, depression, and many other health problems.