Being in a persistent state of elevated alertness is how anxiety is defined. It warns us of peril, but for some, anxiety becomes unregulated, and their bodies respond as if everything is a potential danger. You may find yourself full of feelings of anxiety while doing everyday tasks. Your day-to-day life becomes an emotional battle, and everything seems more daunting than it should.
For other individuals, anxiety can take more than an emotional toll – the symptoms could become physical. These symptoms include nausea, dizziness, insomnia, and heart palpitations. Some people begin to feel an increasing sense of anxiety as their hearing declines while others battle against some degree of anxiety their whole lives.
In contrast to some aging issues which appear suddenly, hearing loss tends to sneak up on you until one day your hearing specialist tells you that you need a hearing aid. This shouldn’t be any different from being told you need glasses, but hearing loss can create anxiety that doesn’t arise with deteriorating vision for many individuals. It can happen even if you’ve never experienced serious anxiety before. Hearing impairment can make it even worse for people who already suffer from anxiety or depression.
What Did You Say?
Hearing loss produces new worries: Did I mishear that price? How many times can I say “huh”? Are they annoyed at me for asking them to repeat themselves? Will my kids still call? These concerns escalate as anxiety takes hold, which is a common reaction, especially when everyday activities become stressful. Why are you declining invitations for dinner or steering clear of gatherings? Your struggle to keep up with conversations could be the reason why you keep turning down invitations if you’re being honest with yourself. While this could help in the short-term, over time, you will feel more separated, which will lead to increased anxiety.
Am I Alone?
You aren’t the only person feeling this way. Anxiety is becoming more and more common. Anxiety conditions are a problem for 18% of the population. Hearing loss, particularly when neglected, raises the chance of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder according to recent studies. The correlation may go the other way too. Some research has shown that anxiety raises your chances of developing hearing loss. It’s unfortunate that people continue to needlessly cope with both of these conditions considering how manageable they are.
What Are The Treatment Options?
If your anxiety is a result of hearing loss you should make an appointment to be fitted for a hearing aid. Don’t procrastinate and if you observe that your hearing has abruptly changed, come in as soon as you can. Hearing aids prevent embarrassment in social situations by preventing miscommunication which reduces anxiety.
There is a learning curve with hearing aids that may add to your anxiety if you aren’t prepared for it. Adjusting to using hearing aids and learning all of the settings can take a couple of weeks. So if you struggle a little initially, be patient and try not to get frustrated. If you’re presently wearing hearing aids and still seem to be struggling with anxiety, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your doctor. Your doctor can suggest one or more of the numerous methods to manage anxiety like increased exercise or a change in lifestyle.
