Carrollton, TX

Friday, July 30, 2010

Recently an article that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It stated:

75% to 90% of all doctors visits are due to stress-related ailments and stress-related disorders. Chronic acute stress leads to an out of balance biochemistry with elevated cortisol and suppressed serotonin. These biochemical markers of stress in turn lead to ill health and psychological disorders. Consequently, stress plays a major causative role in both physical and mental health.

Stress can affect the onset of, or susceptibility to disease. It can also affect the progression or course of disease, even when there is another cause of the disease; and stress can affect one's recovery from disease.

Stress has been linked to these illnesses:

• Cancer

• Diabetes

• Breakdown of the immune system

• Cardiovascular disease

So, why is this so significant? The reason is that we at Hearing Haven have seen so many people living under constant stress because of hearing loss. When a person has to lean forward and strain to pick up important pieces of a conversation, or when misunderstanding and confusion occur because of a hearing impairment, a great deal of stress is created. Some of my clients have told me they come home exhausted after being in difficult listening situations. If hearing problems create so much stress, that could contribute to a person's overall health and their ability to combat colds, the flu, and other more serious conditions.

If you suspect that you or someone you love has a hearing loss, be sure to schedule a complete evaluation as soon as you can. Hearing difficulties not only make good relationships difficult and create emotional frustrations, they can also be contributing to your stress level. You may not have to move to a different state to get relief like my relative did, but you sure can improve your hearing and improve your life!

Please feel free to contact someone at our office with any questions you may have about your hearing, or if there is anything we can do to assist you.

Bob Bare

http://hearinghaven.com

http://hearingaidsforlife.com

*McEwen BS. Protecting and Damaging Effects of Stress Mediators. New England Journal of Medicine 1998; 338(3): 171-179 quoted on www.tm.cme.edu/03.html

Bob Bare

Director

Hearing Haven

Carrollton, TX

(888) 412-3337