In the past, hearing aids have had a stigma. If you wear one, people might think of you as old. The result?
Lots of people of all ages put themselves at risk from quite a few health concerns because they forgo getting hearing aids and choose to deal with hearing loss. The numbers reinforce this: 30 million people in the US dealing with hearing loss, yet only about 15 percent of that population has ever used a hearing aid.
At the same time, an increasing number of young people are coping with hearing loss: a WHO report from 2015 forecasted that 1.1 billion teens and young adults would damage their hearing permanently due to over the top use of headphones and louder and louder music shows.
However, developing technology and changing attitudes have given hearing aids a new life, and soon they’ll be in the same category as eye-glasses – and contact lenses, for that matter.
If You Require Hearing Aids, You Should Wear Them, Here’s Why
There are a lots of reasons why you should wear hearing aids, some of them are unexpected and some are obvious.
Here are some of the most common reasons:
- You can listen to television and music at normal volumes
- You can reduce tinnitus symptoms
- You’ll give your brain a break
- You won’t struggle as much in conversations
- You’ll raise your earning power
- You can appreciate social activities and situations again
- One of the obvious factors would be that you will be able to hear better
Do these sound like beneficial reasons to you? Some advantage can be gained by using hearing aids even for individuals with mild hearing loss.
What many people aren’t aware of is that hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline, mental health issues, and conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
This might happen for a number of different reasons according to research, including that the brain gets overtaxed and overtired because it’s always trying to comprehend sounds. it could be that the brain cells shrink and die because they don’t receive enough stimulus, or it might be associated with social isolation, which is a major cause of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.
By letting you hear words and sounds around you more clearly, hearing aids can help alleviate these problems. Your brain can then process the sounds as it typically would without needing to use additional resources, while you’ll gain the confidence and ability to find enjoyment in social experiences and conversations again.
Hearing Aids Have Advanced in Sophistication
We told you why it’s important for anybody with hearing loss, old or young, to use hearing aids. Now it’s time to learn how hearing aids have advanced in the last few years.
The bulky, over-the-ear hearing aids are still out there for the people who want them. They also have advanced to the point that they can identify where sound is coming from and can filter out sound effectively. Conversely, there are new and improved versions of hearing aids that are nearly unnoticeable, yet pack quite a bit of technology to fit in with today’s digital world.
Is connecting your hearing aids up with your Bluetooth devices including your tv, cellphone, or tablet something you might like to do? Most modern hearing aids come with Bluetooth technology so you’re in luck. There are even higher-end models that can stream music, track your physical activity, and automatically take and make phone calls for you. Smart hearing aids are becoming a must for anyone who has hearing impairment because much like your smartphone or smartwatch, they’re just made to do more. So now that you are ready to tackle your hearing loss and begin using a hearing aid, get in touch with us for an appointment and hearing assessment.