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One thing that many people truly wish they couldn’t hear is the diagnosis that they are living with hearing loss. The challenges of hearing loss can be daunting and, over time, hearing loss often worsens bringing more health concerns along with it. At the same time, many people believe that hearing loss is something that you just endure, even as it gets progressively worse. Myths proliferate that treating hearing loss isn’t “worth it” despite extensive research and experience proving that treating hearing loss can make a huge difference in your life.
Today, hearing aids are smaller and more powerful than ever before. Hearing aids are programmed specifically for your hearing needs and many now integrate with smart phones and other digital devices to stream audio and adapt to the noise level of your surroundings. Most hearing aids are invisible to the casual observer with sleek, comfortable design. Quality hearing aids are an investment in your health that pays off in both the short and long term.
Communicate Better
The most direct reason for treating your hearing loss is that it can help you communicate better. Whether at school or on the job, out with friends or at home with your loved ones, your hearing challenges have probably held you back from participating in a conversation or understanding important information. Hearing aids boost your hearing comprehension through amplifying the sounds you have difficulty with. While hearing aids take a short period of time to adjust to, they vastly improve your comprehension of speech.
Better understanding means a better grasp on your workload, closer relationships with family and friends and less anxiety and misinterpretation. Using hearing aids makes it easier and more comfortable to navigate your life.
Stay on the Move
Speaking of navigation, did you know that treating hearing loss makes you more mobile and engaged? Studies have found that untreated hearing loss greatly restricts a person’s mobility. Multiple factors can contribute to this pattern. Hearing loss can increase anxiety around going out to unfamiliar places and make familiar spots less enjoyable. Unaddressed hearing loss can cause alienation from social circles and make you vulnerable to isolation.
When hearing loss is treated, mobility increases, research has found. Many hearing aids are even equipped with a “telecoil” which allows your hearing aid to receive audio and special announcements in large and public venues that have telecoil loop systems. Used by many churches, schools, airports and government organizations, telecoil helps hearing aid users get valuable information clearly.
Better Quality of Life
We’ve mentioned social isolation already, and that’s not the only way untreated hearing loss corrodes your quality of life. Those living with hearing loss have an elevated risk of depression and anxiety as well. Rooted in feelings of frustration and being misunderstood, hearing loss can subtly alter your social patterns and engagement, drawing you away from things you love because hearing loss makes them harder to participate in. Untreated hearing loss is even linked to reduced earning power on the job market.
Again, hearing aids go a long way in mitigating these harmful patterns. Hearing aids ease communication and reduce obstacles to enjoying your favorite activities. When you treat your hearing loss, you invest in yourself, and you give a gift to those who care about you.
Cognitive Control
One finding that has been widely published is that untreated hearing loss is linked to aspects of cognitive decline. It is thought that cognitive issues arise when the brain is overtaxed by trying to piece together meaning from incomplete sound, and it is forced to shortchange other cognitive tasks.
Falling accidents in the home happen more often to those with untreated hearing loss because the increased focus needed for sound comprehension detracts from our ability to balance and coordinate our body. Untreated hearing loss also can encourage the onset of dementia, with hearing loss straining the mind’s cognitive load. Conversely, treating hearing loss has been shown to improve cognitive performance across the board, even in people living with dementia.
A&A Audiology
The list of benefits that come from treating hearing loss goes on and on, so why wait to have your hearing issue examined? A&A Audiology is here to help you find hearing solutions that are perfect for your life. Whether you’re keeping up in a fast-paced workplace or just relaxing at home, improving your hearing health improves your life. Contact us today!