Did You Know Hearing Loss Can Affect Your Personality?

Hearing disorders can negatively affect many aspects of our lives, and many can have far-reaching implications that go well beyond hearing alone.

So much research has been done to show that hearing loss is linked to many different health challenges, but did you know that it can also affect your personality?

If untreated, hearing loss can lead to psychological and social Issues, with emotional and societal consequences. Recent studies have found that people with hearing issues who don’t use hearing aids are considerably less likely to participate in social activities, leading to social isolation and depression.

A recent Swedish study gives more credibility to what hearing health professionals have been stating – that untreated hearing loss negatively affects quality of life, and highlights the importance of identifying and treating hearing loss, especially among the elderly.

The University of Gothenburg, Sweden, conducted a study that was published in February 2014, in Journal of Personality, showing that hearing loss – a common condition afflicting nearly half of elderly Americans – can actually have a big impact on an aging adult’s personality.

While it’s not unusual for older people to become less outgoing, the Swedish study, supported by the National Institute of Health, suggests that hearing loss accelerates this personality change.

For six years, researchers studied the physical and mental health of 400 seniors, age 80 – 98, and documented changes in two key personality traits: extroversion and neuroticism.

According to Ingeborg Berg, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg, the team was surprised with the findings – out of the wide array of possible influencing factors (e.g. cognitive impairment, number of chronic diseases the individual was dealing with, vision and hearing loss, ability to perform activities of daily living, self-rated health measures), hearing loss appeared to be the one factor that had significant impact on how outgoing an elderly individual was.

The results showed that even if the emotional stability of an aging adult remained constant over time, the personality of the participants with hearing loss was changing – they became less extroverted.

As hearing care experts and enthusiasts, we are committed to bringing as much light onto the topic of hearing loss and the impact it has on people and their well-being.

Did you know that even though there are almost 27 million Americans over the age of 50 with some type of hearing loss, only one in seven uses a hearing aid solution?

At Resonance Audiology & Hearing Aid Center, LLC, our proficient hearing aid doctors are here to help with a hearing test and with selecting and dispensing the most suitable hearing solution, so that you or your loved one can enjoy life more fully again!

Contact us today and learn more about hearing loss and how superior hearing aid solutions for you or your loved one