In the past, hearing aids have carried a stigma. If you wear one, people may think of you as aging. The result?
Countless people, both young and old, forgo hearing aids and suffer needlessly from hearing loss, which is actually linked to several health concerns. The numbers reinforce this: 30 million people in the US dealing with hearing loss, yet only around 15 percent of that group has ever worn a hearing aid.
What’s more, the youth are suffering from hearing loss in greater numbers than ever before: a WHO report from 2015 predicted that excessive use of headphones and overly loud concerts and festivals will cause over 1.1 billion teens and young adults to permanently injure their hearing.
However, advancing technology and shifting perceptions have begun to frame hearing aids in a new light, and people are beginning to view them in a similar way they view eye-glasses.
Why You Should Wear Hearing Aids
There are a ton of reasons why wearing hearing aids is a good idea, some of them are unexpected and some are obvious.
Here are a few of the most common reasons:
- You can listen to television and music at normal volumes
- You’ll be able to hear better (As noted, there were some obvious ones on this list)
- You’ll raise your earning power
- Conversations will be a lot easier
- You’re brain won’t have to work as hard
- Social activities will be more satisfying
- You can minimize tinnitus symptoms
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 don’t know is that hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline, mental health problems, and conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
This may occur for a number of different reasons as reported by research, this includes the overworking of the brain as it battles to comprehend sounds that it hears. it could be that the brain cells shrink and die because they don’t receive enough stimulation, or it could be because of the leading cause of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems which is social isolation.
Hearing aids can change things for the better by allowing you to hear clearly and comprehend the words and sounds around you. Your brain can then process these sounds as it normally would without needing to use extra resources, while you will begin to enjoy conversations and social experiences again because you will have a boost in confidence.
Hearing Aids Have Developed in Sophistication
By now it should be obvious why people of any age should wear hearing aids if they require them. Now we’re going to talk about the how; for example, how hearing aid technology has progressed to the point where they’re nothing like your grandparents’ hearing aids.
If really think you would like one of those large over the ear hearing aids, you can still purchase one. They also have progressed to the point that they can determine where sound is originating from and can filter out sound adequately. Conversely, there are more modern versions of hearing aids that are almost invisible, yet pack quite a bit of technology to work with today’s digital world.
Is syncing your hearing aids to your Bluetooth devices such as your tv, smartphone, or tablet something you would want 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 anybody who has hearing loss because like your smartwatch and smartphone, they’re simply designed to do more. So now that you are ready to manage your hearing loss and start using a hearing aid, consult with us for an appointment and hearing assessment.