NPR

Untreated Hearing Loss Linked To Loneliness And Isolation For Seniors

Hearing loss often happens gradually and earlier than expected. Getting hearing aids can help stave off side effects like depression and even early death.
Untreated hearing loss increases the risks of social isolation, dementia and depression, research finds.

When Anne Madison could no longer hear her microwave beep, she assumed that her appliance needed repair. In fact, the machine worked well, but her confusion foreshadowed a frustrating struggle: a long and lonely battle with hearing loss.

Madison didn't bother going to a doctor after the microwave incident. She knew that hearing aids were so expensive that she could never afford them. So she decided to deal with the hassles of hearing impairment on her own and "just kind of pulled up my socks."

Before long, her world began to shrivel. She stopped going to church, since she could no longer hear the sermons. She abandoned the lectures that she used to frequent, as well as the political rallies that she had always loved. Communicating with

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