Tom is getting a brand new knee and he’s super pumped! Look, as you get older, the kinds of things you get excited about change. His knee replacement means he will experience less pain and be able to get around a lot better. So Tom goes in, the operation is a success, and Tom goes home!
But that isn’t the end of it.
The knee doesn’t heal properly. Tom ends up back in the hospital with an infection and will require another surgery. It’s getting less exciting for Tom by the minute. The doctors and nurses have come to the conclusion that Tom wasn’t adhering to their advice and guidelines for recovery.
So here’s the thing: it isn’t that Tom didn’t want to follow those recovery guidelines. The issue is that he never heard them. It just so happens that there is a solid link between hospital visits and hearing loss, so Tom isn’t by himself.
Hearing loss can contribute to more hospital visits
At this point, you’re probably familiar with the common drawbacks of hearing loss: you become more distant from your loved ones, you raise your risk of social isolation, and have an increased danger of getting dementia. But there can be added, less obvious disadvantages to hearing loss, too, some of which we’re just starting to actually understand.
One of those relationships that’s becoming more evident is that hearing loss can result in an increase in emergency room visits. One study discovered 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.
What’s the link?
This could be the situation for a couple of reasons.
- Once you’re in the hospital, your potential of readmission goes up considerably. But when you’re discharged and go home for a time but then have to go back to the hospital, readmission occurs. Complications sometimes happen that result in this readmission. Readmission can also occur because the initial problem wasn’t properly managed or even from a new problem.
- Your situational awareness can be impacted negatively by untreated hearing loss. If you aren’t aware of your surroundings, you may be more likely to have a car accident or stub your toe. These types of injuries can, of course, send you to the hospital (if you stub your toe hard enough).
Increased risk of readmission
So why are those with neglected hearing loss more likely to be readmitted to the hospital? There are a couple of reasons for this:
- When your doctors and nurses give you guidelines you might not hear them very well because of your untreated hearing loss. For example, if you can’t hear what your physical therapist is telling you to do, you will be unable to perform your physical therapy treatment as well as you otherwise would. 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 example, you’ve recently had surgery to replace your knee. Maybe 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 serious infection.
Keeping track of your hearing aids
At first glimpse, the solution here might seem simple: you just need to wear your hearing aids! Sadly, in the early stages of hearing loss, it frequently goes unnoticed because of how gradually it develops. The solution here is to make an appointment for a hearing exam with us.
Even if you do have a set of hearing aids (and you should), there’s another complication: you might lose them. Hospital trips are often really chaotic. Which means there’s a lot of potential to lose your hearing aids. You will be better able to stay involved in your care when you’re in the hospital if you know how to handle your hearing aid.
Tips for preparing for a hospital visit when you have hearing loss
If you’re dealing with hearing loss and you’re going in for a hospital stay, many of the headaches and discomfort can be avoided by knowing how to prepare. Here are a few basic things you can do:
- Use your hearing aids when you can, and when you aren’t wearing them, make sure to keep them in the case.
- 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.
- Urge your loved ones to advocate for you. You should always be advocating for yourself in a hospital setting.
- Be mindful of your battery power. Keep your hearing aid charged and bring spares if necessary.
- Take your case with you. Having a case for your hearing aid is very important. This will make them much easier to keep track of.
The trick here is to communicate with the hospital at every stage. Your doctors and nurses need to be made aware of your hearing loss.
Hearing loss can cause health issues
It’s important to acknowledge that your hearing health and your overall health are closely related. After all your overall health can be significantly affected by your hearing. Hearing loss is like any other health issue in that it needs to be treated as soon as possible.
The power 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.