For anybody suffering from hearing loss, the message is straightforward: Get a hearing aid.
Why? A recent study found that people were less likely to develop health problems like anxiety, dementia, depression, and dangerous falls if they started using hearing aids within three years of being diagnosed with hearing impairment. While this doesn’t prove hearing aids stop these health issues, their use is linked to fewer health problems. Results from the study revealed that hearing aid users were 18% less likely to develop dementia, 11% less likely to develop depression or anxiety, and 13% less likely to suffer a serious fall.
Stop The Excuses
It’s important to keep in mind that when it comes to your health, these figures may appear low but they’re still considerable. Prior research has demonstrated a correlation between hearing loss and other serious health problems, but this study verified it’s an ongoing, declining issue. It’s significant to remember that many individuals diagnosed with hearing loss don’t bother buying hearing aids. Why not? For many, the lack of insurance coverage is a problem. And the cost might still be too high even for those who have insurance.
Some individuals actually go in and get fitted but when they get their hearing aid home, it seems like too much trouble to wear them, so they don’t. Many individuals don’t view hearing loss as an important concern because they can turn up the TV volume to solve the problem.
While it might seem like hearing loss is inevitable as you get older, there’s more to it than that, and turning up the volume is not the correct solution.
Healthy Hearing is Important
Hearing is obviously a huge part of communication. If your inability to communicate causes you to miss an important instruction by your doctor or direction by a family member, that’s a problem. Consequently, communicating your concerns and symptoms will be challenging.
There are also some less apparent problems related to inadequate communication. When you strain to hear and follow a conversation on the phone, you might lose touch with some of the people in your support system out of embarrassment and frustration. And obviously, your likelihood of developing dementia is higher if your brain doesn’t get enough stimulation which occurs when you are unable to hear.
The Advantages of Hearing Aids
Buying a hearing aid isn’t all about extreme, long-term concerns. Wearing a hearing aid will instantly enhance your quality of life, as well as your long-term outlook. You will have a more satisfying social life and feel less isolated if you can hear and engage in conversations. When you can communicate intelligibly with your doctor, you can accurately share the health problems you are experiencing and understand your doctor’s treatment plan to decrease your anxiety even more.
Is it time to consider a hearing aid? If you have any of the following symptoms, the answer is yes:
- Avoiding social interaction for fear you can’t follow conversations
- Watching TV at very high volume
- Frequently needing people to repeat what they said
- Background sound makes it difficult to hear when someone is speaking to you
These are only some of the symptoms that may signify you should look into a hearing aid. If any of them sound familiar, ask us if a hearing aid may be right for you.