Tom is thrilled, he’s getting a new knee! Look, as you grow older, the kinds of things you look forward to change. His knee replacement means he will suffer from less pain and be able to get around a lot better. So the surgery is a success and Tom heads home.
But that isn’t the end of it.
The knee doesn’t heal as well as it should. An infection sets in, and Tom ends up back in the hospital for another knee surgery. It’s getting less thrilling for Tom by the minute. As the nurses and doctors attempt to determine what happened, it becomes clear that Tom wasn’t following his recovery guidelines.
Tom didn’t purposely deviate from the instructions. The issue is that he didn’t hear them. Tom can take some comfort in the fact that he isn’t by himself: there’s a strong connection between hearing loss and hospital visits.
Hearing loss can contribute to more hospital visits
At this point, you’re probably acquainted with the common disadvantages of hearing loss: you grow more withdrawn from your loved ones, you increase your risk of social solitude, and have an increased danger of getting dementia. But we’re finally starting to understand some of the less obvious disadvantages to hearing loss.
One of those relationships that’s becoming more clear is that hearing loss can result in an increase in emergency room trips. Individuals who suffer from neglected hearing loss have a higher danger of taking a trip to the emergency room by 17% and will be 44% more likely to need to be readmitted later on, as reported by one study.
What’s the connection?
This could be the situation for a couple of reasons.
- Your likelihood of readmission considerably increases once you’re in the hospital. Readmission occurs when you are discharged from the hospital, spend some time at home, and then have to go back to the hospital. Sometimes this happens because a complication occurs. Readmission can also occur because the original problem wasn’t correctly managed or even from a new issue.
- Your situational awareness can be affected negatively by untreated hearing loss. Anything from a stubbed toe to a car accident will be more likely to occur if you aren’t aware of what’s around you. These sorts of injuries can, obviously, send you to the hospital (if you stub your toe hard enough).
Chances of readmission is increased
Why is readmission more likely for individuals who have neglected hearing loss? There are a couple of reasons for this:
- When your nurses and doctors give you guidelines 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 instructions from your physical therapist. Whether you’re still in the hospital or at home, your recovery period could be greatly increased.
- If you’re unable to hear your recovery directions, you won’t know how to take care of yourself as you recover at home. You have a higher likelihood of reinjuring yourself if you’re not even aware that you didn’t hear the instructions.
Let’s say, for instance, 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 might find yourself back in the hospital with a serious infection.
Keeping track of your hearing aids
At first glance, the solution here may seem simple: 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 exam is the solution here.
Even after you’ve taken the steps and invested in a pair of hearing aids, there’s still the chance you may lose them. It’s frequently a chaotic scene when you have to go in for a hospital stay. Which means there’s a lot of potential to lose your hearing aids. You will be better able to remain engaged in your care when you’re in the hospital if you know how to handle your hearing aid.
Tips for bringing your hearing aids with you during a hospital stay
If you have hearing loss and you’re going in for a hospital stay, a lot of the headaches and discomfort can be avoided by knowing how to prepare. There are some easy things you can do:
- Keep your eye on your battery’s charge. Keep your hearing aid charged and bring spares if needed.
- Encourage your loved ones to advocate on your behalf. You should always be advocating on your own behalf in a hospital setting.
- Wear your hearing aids when you can, and put them in their case when you’re not using them.
- Don’t forget your case. Using a case for your hearing aid is very important. This will make them much easier to keep track of.
- Communicate to hospital staff about your hearing loss. The more informed you are about your hearing loss, the less likelihood there is for a miscommunication to happen.
Communication with the hospital at every stage is key here. Make sure you’re telling your nurses and physicians about your hearing loss.
Hearing is a health concern
It’s important to recognize that your hearing health and your overall health are closely related. After all your overall health can be considerably impacted by your hearing. Hearing loss is like any other health issue in that it needs to be addressed right away.
You don’t need to be like Tom. Keep your hearing aids close the next time you need to go in for a hospital stay.
