Social Isolation and Hearing Loss: Exploring the Link

Experiencing hearing loss can have a profound impact on your life, especially when it comes to how you interact with others. After all, when we can no longer communicate in the exact same way, it’s easy to feel as though we’re being left out of the conversation. As a result, it’s hardly surprising that many of those experiencing hearing loss also deal with social isolation.

In fact, a recent study found that “for every decibel drop in perception in people under 70 increases the odds of becoming severely lonely by seven percent.” As loneliness and social isolation can lead to a range of complications, this is something that must be addressed moving forward.

After all, advances in healthcare and hearing aid technology can help those dealing with hearing loss continue to live normal lives. There are many adjustments you can make (whether you’re dealing with hearing loss yourself or know someone who is) to ensure that self-isolation is avoided.

Why Does Hearing Loss Lead to Social Isolation?

There are many reasons why hearing loss may lead to social isolation, particularly among older adults. Firstly, hearing loss could make it more difficult to follow a conversation, especially in noisy environments. While lip-reading and body language are helpful in these situations, many of those experiencing hearing loss will find themselves withdrawing from conversations and social events as they feel as though they can no longer keep up with their peers.

In some instances, this could be caused by a sense of embarrassment. For example, they may not want to ask somebody to repeat themselves or appear as though they don’t understand what is happening.

What Are the Dangers of Social Isolation When Dealing with Hearing Loss?

The most glaring danger associated with social isolation is the fact that it could leave people vulnerable to feelings of both sadness and loneliness. After all, it will likely mean that they are spending the majority of their time alone. Beyond this, however, studies have found that “social isolation has been shown to raise the risk for dementia by roughly 50%.” As hearing loss is already a risk factor for the onset of dementia, it’s crucial that those dealing with hearing loss do not isolate themselves.

How to Prevent Social Isolation When Dealing with Hearing Loss

Many of those dealing with hearing loss maintain active, vibrant social lives – they simply have to make a few adjustments along the way. For example, this could include:

• Working with their audiologist to determine what hearing aids will best suit their needs, whether they be ITE (In the ear), BTE (Behind the ear) or ITC (In the canal) aids.
• Ensuring that they regularly use their hearing aids. While this may seem obvious, 20% of people with hearing aids do not use them.
• Finding other ways to strengthen their communication skills, such as through body language and other non-verbal cues. This could also include learning sign language.
• Asking those around you to speak slower and clearer, therefore, making it a little easier to lip-read or follow along with conversations.
• Joining support groups with others who are experiencing hearing loss. While the support of friends and family members goes a long way, speaking with others who understand exactly what you are going through can be invaluable, and it’s a great way to feel engaged within a community.
• Encouraging those around you to research hearing loss and the way it can impact the life of the person experiencing it. This will make them more receptive to changing their communication style to ensure you’re never left out of the conversation.
• Maintaining a busy social calendar. While you may feel overwhelmed if your schedule is always packed, it’s important that you do not allow yourself to withdraw from the activities you love or enjoy.

In short, there are many ways in which you can work to combat or prevent social isolation when dealing with hearing loss. However, it’s equally important to remember that you are not alone. After all, “about 12% of the U.S. population (38 million Americans) suffer from significant, debilitating hearing loss.”

This means that there are plenty of support services out there that you can rely on this time, whether you reach out to a specific charity or an audiologist. At Clifton Springs Hearing Center, we help individuals dealing with hearing loss minimize the impact it has on their lives (and social activities) through assessments, hearing aid fittings and more. To learn more about Clifton Springs Hearing Center, please do not hesitate to get in touch today by calling 315-496-4314.