Hearing aids are meant to be used daily. But you’re also supposed to wash out your milk jugs before recycling them. We don’t always do what we’re supposed to. So yeah, you skip taking your hearing aids out of their storage container now and then. You might even forget to use it for more than a day.
That’s not great. Because there are several things that happen (or continue to happen) when you don’t use your hearing aids. And most of them, to be honest, aren’t good.
Effects And Repercussions of Going Without Hearing Aids
There will be repercussions of varying degrees of intensity and severity, both to your health and social life, if you don’t wear your hearing aid. The effects and consequences of failing to use your hearing aids could include the following.
Your Hearing Will Continue to Diminish
Hearing aids are remarkable devices. They enhance your ability to hear and help keep your auditory complex (the region of the brain that interprets sound) functioning efficiently.
You may damage your hearing even more if, instead of wearing your hearing aids, you begin cranking up the volume on your devices even higher than they already are. Even if you’re keeping the volumes in check, problems with your brain can result from missing sensory input. (It actually shrinks.) So you’ll probably wind up needing more powerful hearing aids in the future if you fail to use your current pair because your hearing will continue to get worse.
Social Engagement Will Become More Challenging (And Less Consistent)
You know when you go to the store and you get into a short discussion with the cashier? Those conversations are nice. In a world dominated by technology, these little chats are a touch of humanity.
These day-to-day social interactions suddenly become very difficult when you don’t wear your hearing aids. You have to ask the cashier to repeat himself. Over and over. And that’s when the conversation becomes really awkward. Perhaps that sounds trivial, but every bit you retreat into yourself makes it that much easier for you to entirely seclude yourself socially. And the result can be even more significant.
Mental Decline And Hearing Aids
Your brain doesn’t get close to as much exercise when you seclude yourself. Think about how invigorated (or exhausted) you can feel after a good chat or an enjoyable evening dinner with your family. Certain cognitive functions can begin to decline or decline faster without this exercise. This could mean:
- Depression
- Memory problems
- Balance troubles
- Declines in energy or productivity
But there’s more. Because there are particular parts of your brain and nervous system that thrive on hearing sounds. Your auditory complex starts to atrophy when certain nerves begin to weaken from lack of stimulation. This can result in an even more rapid mental decline (or, even in the best-case scenario, make adjusting to your hearing aids even more difficult).
Hearing aids keep your brain active, stimulated, and happy (more or less).
Loss of Independence
It’s not unusual, as you get older, to require a bit more help. Maybe you get a family member to go shopping for you or a neighbor to do some yard work. You are likely to accelerate your loss of independence if you’re not using your hearing aids.
When you don’t use your hearing aids, it can rapidly become more difficult to answer the phone or have a conversation with your neighbor. You may miss important weather alerts. Perhaps you don’t hear your cat meowing at night for food or your dog barking at someone knocking on your door.
Is There Any Solution?
No matter how technologically advanced hearing aids get, they won’t solve all of life’s problems. But they will solve a lot of the issues connected with not wearing your hearing aids.
You need to come see us for help if you’re having problems with your hearing aids or if they’re uncomfortable.
But if you’re looking for reasons to avoid wearing your hearing aids, if you’re just forgetting them in the nightstand drawer, it’s worth taking a little time to consider what may be gained by using them… and what might happen if you don’t use your hearing aids.
References
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/otolaryngology/specialty_areas/hearing/faq.html
https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20140128/hearing-loss-tied-to-faster-brain-shrinkage-with-age
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation
