It seems like we’re always trying to stay young. We spend a great number of hours trying everything possible to stay young. From special diets to fad workout programs to Botox to wrinkle creams. Still, with that amount of time and effort, the one thing that could actually work, we tend to avoid: wearing ear protection.
Many people probably consider hearing loss as inevitable as we age. But it’s not that easy. You can keep your hearing in good shape and help prevent damage by safeguarding and taking care of your ears. And excellent hearing can have considerable anti-aging effects as time goes by.
Aging And Hearing
When we speak about “aging” we don’t normally mean the actual passage of time. Instead, specific mental. emotional, or physical changes are indications that someone is getting older. A great example of this is pain in your joints. When your knees begin to bother you, you may relate that with “getting old”. But it’s not age by itself that causes the issue (your daily 5-mile run could have something to do with it, also).
Many types of hearing loss fall under this category. As you get older, damage accumulates. The accumulation of damage, in most cases, is the real cause of hearing deterioration. And that’s when things can begin to snowball. Neglected hearing loss has been associated with a number of other signs of aging:
- Neglected hearing loss could cause you to isolate yourself from friends or family.
- In some cases, the mental strain associated with attempting to hear can lead to issues such as memory loss or insomnia. And that might make you feel like you’re getting old in a particularly profound way.
- Research has shown a strong connection between neglected hearing loss, depression, and anxiety.
- The onset of mental issues, including dementia, can often be hastened by ignored or unnoticed hearing loss.
So How do I Fight Age-Related Hearing Loss?
When you combat the “signs of aging” in your ears, you’re really placing an emphasis on preventing damage. And it’s fortunate that we can achieve that using several methods. For example, you can:
- If you happen to work in a somewhat noisy environment, wear hearing protection. Current ear muffs have excellent technology that can let you hear voices clearly while eliminating loud, harmful environmental sounds.
- Steer clear of loud noises as much as you can. If you need to expose yourself to loud noise, use hearing protection. So when you go see that concert with your favorite musician, be sure to wear earplugs.
- Become more aware. It’s not only the painfully loud sounds that can result in harm. Moderate sound for extended periods of time can cause harm to your ears, too.
Your ears can be safeguarded by all of these actions. But there’s one more step you can take to keep your ears in fighting condition: contact us for a hearing test. Catching hearing loss before you even notice it can be achieved by having regular tests. You should still get an exam even if your hearing is normal so that you can have a baseline to compare against in the future.
Keep Your Ears Healthy With Hearing Aids
The world we live in can be boisterous. Your ability to protect against damage is critical, but you may ultimately notice some hearing loss despite your best efforts. You should seek out help as soon as possible if you do detect any symptoms of hearing loss. A good pair of hearing aids can help prevent some of the so-called age-related problems related to hearing impairments.
You can perhaps think of hearing aids as a facelift for your ears: something to make your ears to function a little more youthfully. And that can help keep depression, dementia, and other issues from increasing. This analogy only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are necessary. Wrinkle creams may help you look younger. But if you really want to fight aging and feel a bit more youthful, your best bet is to protect your ears and take care of your hearing loss.