Links between vision and hearing loss
They’re our two most important senses, so it’s worrying that as people age, their hearing and vision often deteriorate at the same time. Studies have shown that it’s because hearing and vision problems are linked by the same risk factors.
Australian scientists in 2006 studied around 2,000 people with an average age of 70, and found that the people who had problems seeing were more likely to also suffer from hearing impairments, and vice versa.
With this in mind, people should be looking to taking care of both their eyes and their ears, and not just when they get older. Ear and eye health is important all throughout life. Here are some tips on how to care for your ears AND eyes:
• Don’t smoke – smoking restricts the circulation of blood and oxygen around your body, meaning that crucial cells in your eyes and ears do not receive the blood and nutrients they need to continue functioning properly. Cell damage from smoking can also lead to conductive hearing loss.
• Visit a doctor immediately if you ever have an ear of eye infection – Infections which are left untreated can cause serious, irreversible damage to your organs, especially your ears and eyes. If you ever experience pain, unusual discharge from your eyes or ears, see a medical professional right away – most infections can be cleared up easily with a short course of antibiotics.
• Take care of your overall health is very important to hearing – Things like stress, diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) have all been linked to age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and hearing loss, so ensuring you’re active and healthy in all aspects of your life will ensure you can see and hear at your best, for life, and avoid needing surgery on your eyes or an ear implant.
Head online to learn more about conductive hearing loss, hearing loss treatments, and the various resources and that are available for individuals that are hearing impaired.
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