If you or someone you know is experiencing hearing loss, you already know that it can be a problem when it comes to communication. What you may not realize is that it can also leave you more accident prone. A recent study suggests that hearing loss can make it twice as likely to be injured accidentally.
Details of the Hearing Loss Study
Reuters reports on a study that took place for eight years from 2007 to 2015. The study surveyed around 272,000 adults across the U.S. Each survey participant was asked to rate their own hearing and if they had any type of accidental injury within the last three months. Here are some of the statistics and metrics from the study:
- Based on the answers from study participants, the researchers were able to estimate that out of about 232.2 million people, 6.6 million experienced accidental injuries each year.
- People who reported a little trouble hearing were 60% more likely to have an accidental injury vs. people who reported they have excellent hearing.
- People who classified themselves as having a “moderate” hearing difficulty hearing were 70% more likely to have an accidental injury vs. people who said they have excellent hearing.
- People who said they had a great deal of hearing loss were 90% more likely to have an accidental injury than those who said they had excellent hearing.
While it may not sound like an accidental injury is anything serious, they are actually among the leading causes of disability and death in the U.S. In addition to that, accidental injuries are also responsible for millions of emergency room visits every year.
The senior study author Dr. Neil Bhattacharyya, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston explains, “Hearing is a special sense and as such one of its prime sensory functions is as a warning system for the body. When people have hearing loss, they may be less likely to hear warning signs of, for example, a bicycle or motorcycle coming towards them. They may be less likely to hear a car horn or someone yelling at them to ‘duck’ if a baseball is headed their direction.”
These study findings might be the deciding factor for you to finally seek help for your hearing loss. We will make the process easy every step of the way and will help you find the right solution for you to be safe and able to report your hearing as “excellent”.
Consult with the Hearing Experts at Kenwood Hearing Center
Have questions about hearing loss or hearing aids? We are here to help! Please contact us today and schedule an appointment. The experts at Kenwood Hearing Center are here for you to help you with not only hearing loss, but your overall hearing health.