“Withdrawal from social situations is common in individuals with hearing loss. Many studies cite feelings of embarrassment, fear of making mistakes in conversations, and feeling like you are not part of the conversation as the common rational for individuals with hearing impairment to separate themselves from family, friends and community. This retreat from social activity has even been found in individuals with a mild degree of hearing loss. In addition, individuals with hearing loss are less likely to engage in physical activity. Both increased social isolation and reduced physical activity are strong risk factors for the development of dementia…
Can you really expect to be more socially active and engaged once starting to treat hearing loss? Yes. Throughout this book, I have been providing countless examples of how treating hearing loss can profoundly impact a patient’s life and mental health. Frankly, connecting the dots of treating hearing loss to improvements in overall health and personal independence is simple.
If you ask your primary care physician, “Doc, what do I need to do to be healthier?”, the answer is guaranteed to include reduce stress, increase physical activity, stay socially active and engaged, lose weight, and eat healthy. Treating your hearing loss can help you achieve most of these goals. And achieving these goals is the key to healthy active aging.”
For an excerpt from Dr. Whitney Swander’s book Isolation is Optional. Contact Hearing HealthCare Centers by calling 720-699-1869 or by visitingwww.hhccbookoffer.com to receive a free copy to learn more!