Tom is excited–he’s getting a new knee! (Look, as you get older, the kinds of things you look forward to 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!
That’s when things take a turn.
The knee doesn’t heal as well as it should. An infection sets in, and Tom winds up back in the hospital for another knee surgery. (It’s getting less exciting for Tom by the minute.) As the doctors and nurses try to figure out what happened, it becomes evident that Tom wasn’t following his recovery instructions.
So here’s the thing: it’s not that Tom didn’t want to follow those recovery instructions. The problem is that he never heard them. Tom can take some comfort in the fact that he’s not alone: there’s a strong connection between hearing loss and hospital visits.
Hearing loss can lead to more hospital visits
By now, you’re probably familiar with the typical drawbacks of hearing loss: you grow more distant from your loved ones, you increase your risk of social isolation, and have an increased risk of developing dementia. But there can be additional, less obvious drawbacks to hearing loss, too–some of which we’re just starting to truly understand.
One of those relationships that’s becoming more clear is that hearing loss can lead to an increase in emergency room visits. One study found that people with hearing loss have a 17% greater risk of needing a trip to the emergency room and a 44% higher chance of readmission later.
What’s the connection?
There are a couple of reasons why this might be.
- First and foremost, untreated hearing loss can negatively impact your situational awareness. If you aren’t aware of your surroundings, you may be more likely to get into a car accident or stub your toe. These sorts of injuries can, of course, land you in the hospital (if you stub your toe hard enough).
- Once you’re in the hospital, your chance of readmission goes up significantly. 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. In other cases, readmission might result from a new problem–or because the initial problem wasn’t addressed correctly.
Increased chances of readmission
So why are those with untreated hearing loss more likely to be readmitted to the hospital? This happens for a couple of reasons:
- If you have untreated hearing loss, you may not be able to hear the instructions that your nurses and doctors give you. For example, if you can’t understand what your physical therapist is telling you to do, you will be unable to perform your physical therapy treatment as well as you otherwise might. This can lead to a longer recovery period while you’re in the hospital as well as a longer recovery once you’re out.
- If you can’t hear your recovery instructions, you won’t know how to take care of yourself as you continue recovering at home. If you can’t hear the instructions (and especially if you don’t know you aren’t hearing your instructions properly), you’re more likely to reinjure yourself.
For example, let’s pretend you’ve recently had knee replacement surgery. Your surgeon might tell you not to shower for the next 3 weeks–but you hear 3 days instead. Now your wound is at risk of developing a serious infection (one that could land you back at the hospital).
Keeping track of your hearing aids
At first glance, the solution here might seem simple: just wear your hearing aids! Unfortunately, hearing loss often progresses very slowly, and those with hearing loss may not always realize they are feeling its effects. (The solution here is to schedule a hearing test with your hearing specialist.)
Even if you do have a pair of hearing aids (and you should), there’s another complication: you might lose them. Hospital visits are often quite chaotic. Which means there’s lots of potential to lose your hearing aids. And that can also lead to a similar situation. Knowing how to handle hearing aids during a hospital stay can help you stay engaged in your care.
Tips for prepping for a hospital stay when you have hearing loss
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. There are some easy things you can do:
- Bring your case with you. It’s really important to have a case for your hearing aids. This will make them much easier to keep track of.
- Wear your hearing aids when you can; and when you aren’t wearing them, make sure to keep them in the case.
- Be mindful of your battery power. Bring spares if you need them and charge your hearing aids when you can.
- Communicate to hospital staff about your hearing loss. The more informed they are about your hearing loss, the less chance there is for a miscommunication to occur.
- Encourage your loved ones to advocate on your behalf. (You should always be advocating on your own behalf in a hospital setting.)
The key here is to communicate with the hospital at every stage. Make sure you’re telling your nurses and physicians about your hearing loss.
Hearing is a health concern
So maybe it’s time to stop thinking of hearing health and your overall wellness as two totally different things. After all, your hearing can have a significant impact on your overall health. In many ways, hearing loss is no different than a broken arm–in that each of these health issues requires prompt treatment in order to prevent possible complications.
The power to avoid Tom’s fate is in your hands. The next time you find yourself in the hospital, make sure your hearing aids are nearby.
Think you need hearing aids? Find a provider.
