National Women’s Health Week: How Hearing Can Affect Your Overall Health
May 8 – 14, 2016
This week is National Women’s Health Week and we want to shine a light on the importance of how hearing can have an affect on the overall health of a woman.
Hearing loss among women of all ages is on the rise across the U.S with two-thirds of women in their 60’s experiencing some degree of hearing loss. But don’t think this is just occurring for aging women, women in their 20’s are also experiencing an increase in hearing loss to some degree. Most degrees of hearing loss can be remedied or improved with hearing aids.
As we have pointed out to our reader’s, the majority of those who seek treatment for hearing loss see an improvement in their quality of life. This includes better hearing in many settings and a positive effect on their social lives, relationships at home and in the workplace as well as how they view themselves.
However, research has also shown a noteworthy link between hearing loss and other health issues such as mental health, overall physical health, dementia and falling among others.
“Hearing loss may be preventable and there are dietary and lifestyle factors, such as maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, eating a healthy diet that includes fish, not smoking, limiting the use of over-the-counter analgesics, and avoiding excessive noise exposure, that may help conserve hearing,” said Sharon G. Curhan, MD, MSc of the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “For those with hearing loss, early detection is especially important.”
Below are six tips every woman should know about hearing health:
- Women with hearing loss are more likely to be depressed.
- The ear may show earlier signs of heart complications due to it’s sensitivity to blood flow.
- If you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to have hearing loss.
- Many of the same lifestyle behaviors that affect the heart impact hearing.
- Hearing loss in women is tied to common pain relievers.
- Addressing hearing loss may benefit cognitive function.
For more information, visit www.betterhearing.org.
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