Tom is excited, he’s getting a brand new knee! Hey, the things you look forward to change as you age. He will be able to move moving around more freely and will experience less pain with his new knee. So the surgery is successful and Tom heads home.
But that isn’t the end of it.
Regrettably, the healing process doesn’t go as it should. Tom ends up back in the hospital with an infection and will require another surgery. Tom is not as psyched by this point. The doctors and nurses have come to the realization that Tom wasn’t adhering to their advice and instructions for recovery.
So here’s the thing: it’s not that Tom didn’t want to observe those recovery instructions. The issue is that he never heard them. It turns out that there is a solid connection between hospital visits and hearing loss, so Tom isn’t by himself.
More hospital visits can be the result of hearing loss
The typical drawbacks of hearing loss are something that most individuals are already familiar with: you grow more distant from your loved ones, you raise your risk of social solitude, and have an increased danger of getting dementia. But we’re finally starting to comprehend some of the less apparent disadvantages to hearing loss.
Increased emergency room visits is one of those relationships that’s becoming more evident. One study found that individuals with hearing loss have a 17% greater danger of needing a visit to the emergency room and a 44% increased risk of readmission later on.
What’s the link?
There are a couple of reasons why this might be.
- Once you’re in the hospital, your potential of readmission increases substantially. But when you’re discharged and go home for a time but then have to go back to the hospital, readmission happens. Sometimes this happens because a complication occurs. In other cases, readmission may be the outcome of a new problem, or because the original problem wasn’t addressed correctly.
- Your situational awareness can be impacted negatively by untreated hearing loss. Anything from a stubbed toe to a car accident will be more likely to happen if you aren’t aware of your surroundings. These types of injuries can, obviously, send you to the hospital (if you stub your toe hard enough).
Chances of readmission increases
So why are individuals with neglected hearing loss more likely to be readmitted to the hospital? This occurs for a couple of reasons:
- When your nurses and doctors give you instructions you may not hear them very well because of your neglected hearing loss. You won’t be able to properly do your physical therapy, for instance, if you fail to hear the guidelines from your physical therapist. Whether you’re still in the hospital or at home, your recovery period could be greatly increased.
- Caring for yourself after you get home will be practically impossible if you don’t hear the guidelines. If you’re unable to hear the instructions (and especially if you don’t know you aren’t hearing your instructions properly), you’re more likely to reinjure yourself.
Let’s say, for example, you’ve recently undergone surgery to replace your knee. Perhaps you’re not supposed to shower for three weeks but you thought your doctor said three days. And you could find yourself back in the hospital with a severe infection.
Keeping track of your hearing aids
The solution might seem straight-forward at first glance: just use your hearing aids! Sadly, in the early stages of hearing loss, it frequently goes unnoticed because of how slowly it progresses. Coming in to see us for a hearing test is the solution here.
Even after you’ve taken the steps and invested in a pair of hearing aids, there’s still the possibility of losing them. It’s often a chaotic scene when you have to go in for a hospital stay. So the probability of losing your hearing aid is absolutely present. Knowing how to deal with hearing aids during a hospital stay can help you remain involved in your care.
Tips for bringing your hearing aids with you during a hospital stay
Knowing how to prepare for a hospital stay when you have hearing loss can prevent a lot of headaches (and other discomfort) in the future. Here are a few basic things you can do:
- Take your case with you. It’s very important to use a case for your hearing aids. They will be able to be better taken care of that way.
- Make sure that the hospital staff is aware of your hearing loss. Miscommunication will be less likely if they are well informed about your situation.
- Keep your eye on your battery’s charge. Keep your hearing aid charged and bring spares if needed.
- Use your hearing aids when you can, and put them in their case when you’re not using them.
- Urge your loved ones to advocate for you. You should always be advocating on your own behalf in a hospital setting.
Communication with the hospital at every stage is the trick here. Be certain that you’re telling your nurses and doctors about your hearing loss.
Hearing loss can cause health issues
So maybe it’s time to stop thinking of hearing health and your overall wellness as two totally different things. After all your general health can be considerably impacted by your hearing. In a lot of ways, hearing loss is the same as a broken arm, in that each of these health problems requires prompt treatment in order to prevent possible complications.
The ability to avoid Tom’s fate is in your hands. Keep your hearing aids close the next time you need to go in for a hospital stay.
