Hearing Loss in Seniors Can Lead to Late-Life Depression

Did you know that hearing loss could greatly affect your quality of life? It is a little known fact that a loss of hearing in seniors can lead to depressive symptoms and or late-life depression. The more severe your loss of hearing, the more likely you are to experience depressive symptoms. However, hearing loss is easy to diagnose and though it is not curable, it is treatable.

It is true that most people age 70 and older will experience at least some loss of hearing, but most go undiagnosed or untreated. Do you ever have a hard time hearing someone or something, when it seems others around you don’t? It is very important that if you are above the age of 50 and think you may have a loss of hearing that you get checked by a physician and see what treatment options are available to you.

There was a clinical study done amongst 5,200 adults age 50 and older to screen them for hearing loss, as well as depression. Within this study it was found that those with a mild loss of hearing were twice as likely to have significant depression and or depressive symptoms. Furthermore, it was also found that those with a severe loss of hearing where more than four times more likely to experience significant depression. This doesn’t indefinitely prove that a loss of hearing can cause depression, but shows that I can definitely be a contributing factor.

If you feel like your hearing is not quite as sharp as it used to be, or are having trouble understanding and hearing people, you should consult with your physician and have your hearing checked. It is very simple to check if you have any form of hearing loss and hearing care is very easily accessible. Contact our team for more information on scheduling a hearing test.