Being in a continued state of elevated alertness is the definition of anxiety. It warns us of peril, but for some people, anxiety goes out of control, and their bodies react as if everything is a potential danger. You may find yourself full of feelings of anxiety while doing daily tasks. Your day-to-day life becomes an emotional battle, and everything seems more daunting than it should.
And anxiety, for others, can become more than an emotional issue – the symptoms may become physical. These symptoms include nausea, dizziness, insomnia, and heart palpitations. Some might struggle with these feelings their whole lives, while other people may find that as their hearing worsens, they start to feel increased anxiety.
In contrast to some aging issues which come out of nowhere, hearing loss tends to creep up on you until one day your hearing specialist tells you that you need a hearing aid. This shouldn’t be any different from finding out you need glasses, but hearing loss can trigger anxiety that doesn’t occur with deteriorating vision for many people. Even if you’ve never dealt with severe anxiety this can still happen. For individuals already faced with depression or anxiety, hearing loss can make it seem even worse.
What Did You Say?
Hearing loss creates new worries: Did I mishear that price? What if I keep saying “huh”? Are they aggravated with me for asking them to repeat themselves? Will people stop calling me? When day-to-day activities become stressful, anxiety escalates and this is a normal reaction. Why are you turning down invitations for dinner or steering clear of gatherings? Your struggle to keep up with conversations could be the reason why you keep declining invitations if you’re being honest with yourself. While this may help temporarily, over time, you will grow more separated, which will lead to additional anxiety.
Am I Alone?
You aren’t the only person feeling like this. It’s increasingly common for people to be dealing with anxiety. Anxiety conditions are an issue for 18% of the population. Recent research shows hearing loss raises the chance of being diagnosed with anxiety, particularly when neglected. It could work the opposite way also. According to some studies, anxiety will actually increase your chances of getting hearing loss. It’s regrettable that people continue to needlessly deal with both of these conditions considering how manageable they are.
What Are The Treatment Choices?
If hearing loss is causing anxiety, it’s time to get fitted for a hearing aid. Don’t put it off until your next check-up, especially if you’ve observed a rapid change in your hearing. Hearing aids prevent embarrassment in social situations by preventing miscommunication which reduces anxiety.
There is a learning curve with hearing aids that might enhance your anxiety if you aren’t ready for it. It can take weeks to determine the ins and outs of hearing aids and get used to using them. So if you struggle a little initially, be patient and try not to get frustrated. If you’re presently wearing hearing aids and still find yourself struggling with anxiety, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor. There are numerous ways to deal with anxiety, and your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes like additional exercise, to benefit your individual situation.