Hearing Loss & Personality Change

It is already known that older individuals with hearing loss tend to feel more isolated and more inclined toward depression. Now, a recent Swedish study suggests that hearing loss in seniors may also push them further into a tendency toward introversion. The study took place over a six-year period and involved 400 adults ages 80 to 98. Researchers assessed the study participants’ personalities and found that those with hearing loss were prone to being less extroverted than those without hearing loss. This hardly comes as a surprise because hearing-impaired seniors engage less in social activities. The bigger issue is that no other physical or cognitive impairment than hearing loss (including vision loss) was found to lead to pronounced social withdrawal.
Hearing loss can affect your life in many ways. You may miss out on talks with friends and family. On the phone, you may find it hard to hear what a caller is saying. At the doctor’s office, you may not catch the doctor’s words. If you have trouble hearing, there is help. To schedule a hearing test, please call us. We provide comprehensive audiological assessments. We educate our patients so they can make an informed decision about their hearing needs.
P.S. It is often up to a family member or friend to suggest a hearing test and possible use of a hearing instrument to those with obvious signs of hearing loss.