Hearing Loss Linked to Smoking, Depression and Cardiovascular Disease
Did you know that hearing loss has been linked to several other health conditions such as cognitive impairment, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, arthritis, and cancer?
This is why at Palm Coast Hearing Center we take a detailed case history before every hearing evaluation. Healthy hearing habits does not only include restricting noisy habits but also taking care of your body as a whole.
Did you quit smoking recently?
According to the Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, quitting or reducing smoking and avoiding passive exposure to tobacco smoke may prevent hearing loss. The study shows that passive exposure to tobacco smoke compared to non-smokers was associated with 28% elevated risk of hearing loss. If you’re trying to reduce your exposure to tobacco smoke keep up the good work. This is just another awesome benefit to reducing exposure!
Depression
A study conducted by Li and researchers at the NIH and NIDCD indicated a direct relationship between the severity of hearing loss and the incidence of depression. People with hearing loss usually find communication difficult, which can lead to stress.
Unfortunately, hearing loss in a majority of people goes undetected and untreated. Now that you know there is a significant association between hearing impairment and moderate to severe depression make sure to let your loved ones know it’s never a bad idea to get a baseline hearing test. You probably have a dentist and an optometrist, but do you have an audiologist?
Cardiovascular Disease
An interesting study by Friedland and colleagues showed that certain types of audiometric patterns were strongly correlated with cardiovascular disease. How can this happen? Our ears are very sensitive to blood flow changes and if there is anything compromised in the cerebrovascular system it may also be affecting the inner ear’s vascular system! As a Doctor of Audiology I make sure to continue my education and remain aware of new and emerging research to help treat my patients the way I would want my family to be treated!
If you have hearing loss, or you aren’t hearing well, call and schedule an appointment to have a complete hearing evaluation.
