Hearing loss increases your chance of developing anxiety, depression and even cognitive decline. But did you know that it can also increase your risk of an accidental injury? We explore this connection below.
What the Research Shows
A study by researchers Hossein Mahboubi, M.D., MPH, Harrison Lin, M.D. and Neil Bhattacharyya, M.D., published in May of 2018 examined the relationship between hearing loss and accidental injury. The researchers used data from the CDC collected for the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 2007 to 2015.
For the survey, participants rated their hearing abilities as “excellent,” “good,” “a little trouble hearing,” “moderate trouble hearing,” “a lot of trouble hearing” and “deaf.”
Approximately 2.8% of the participants reported an accidental injury during the previous three months. The types of injury were classified as either driving-related, work-related or leisure/sport-related. The results are broken down as follows:
- For driving-related injuries, there was no statistical difference based on hearing status.
- For work-related injuries, those with good hearing or little trouble hearing had a higher prevalence than for those with excellent hearing or more severe hearing difficulty.
- For leisure-related injuries, those with excellent hearing had a prevalence of 0.8%, while those who considered themselves deaf had a prevalence of 1.4%.
Overall, the rate of accidental injury increased from 2.4% for those with excellent hearing to 4.8% for those with a lot of trouble hearing.
The results of this study are supported by previous studies.
One study that examined South Carolina Medicaid billing data from 2002 and 2003 found that children with hearing loss were twice as likely to be treated for injuries in a hospital or ER than those with normal hearing.
Another report that used data from the NHIS from 1985 to 1994 found that occupational injuries are 1.5 times more likely to occur in adults who are deaf.
How to Prevent an Injury
While the purpose of the 2018 study was not to uncover why there is an association between hearing loss and accidental injuries, experts believe that one reason for this is because people with hearing loss have overall less awareness of their surroundings due to their hearing impairment.
Hearing aids can help. One study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that hearing aids are associated with a lower risk of fall-related injury.
To prevent an injury when shopping at Hyams Garden and Accent Store or during other enjoyable activities, call the hearing aid experts at The Hearing & Balance Center today.