We often don’t appreciate how important our sense of hearing is until it’s too late. Socially, mentally and physically, our lives are enhanced with good hearing. If you’re not protecting your hearing or ignoring your hearing impairment, you are compromising your general health in ways you might not have realized. Here are just a few of the many benefits of healthy hearing:
Improved Physical Health
According to a survey performed by Hear The World Foundation, 21 percent of participants confirmed exercising more frequently after obtaining hearing aids. And at least once a week, 34 percent of participants reported undertaking some sporting activity.
Better Mental Health
Clinical depression, as well as the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s have been linked to hearing loss according to researchers at Johns Hopkins. Luckily, many of these issues can be prevented or even reversed by using hearing aids.
Improved Relationships
Communication is important in any relationship, particularly with friends and family members. Aggravation, miscommunication, and ill will can result from hearing impairment. When you’re in public places that have a lot of background noise, wearing hearing aids will allow you to continue to participate in conversations.
Improved Cognitive Abilities
A study released in 2016 found that hearing aids can improve brain function in people with hearing impairment. Cognition is interrupted by hearing loss as the brain utilizes additional resources trying to hear and understand.
Less Tinnitus Symptoms
Individuals who experience hearing impairment will be able to hear sounds they previously couldn’t when they wear hearing aids. By enhancing the stimulus between the brain and auditory pathways, hearing aids can help hide and decrease tinnitus symptoms. Users can also use hearing aids to manage volumes and mask tinnitus sounds.
Decreased Fatigue
If you’re expending more energy than usual to listen to and comprehend daily conversations, it can create stress, sleep disturbances, tiredness, and even exhaustion. Hearing aids not only help you hear and communicate more successfully, but they also help you save energy by exerting less effort when listening.
Greater Security
Better hearing means you will be able to respond to critical sounds and noises that occur in your day-to-day life. Sirens, alarms, cell phones, car horns, and other traffic noises indicating approaching traffic, need to be heard and hearing aids can help you do that.
Fewer Headaches
Headaches and even migraines often come with tinnitus which can, in turn, make the tinnitus symptoms even worse. Wearing hearing aids can reduce the symptoms of tinnitus, and thus minimize the frequency and intensity of headaches and migraines.
Clearer Speech
Young children who are still establishing early language skills need to have any hearing problems addressed as soon as possible. There may be fluid inside of the child’s inner middle ears canal which may need a tube to be surgically implanted for drainage. For more severe conditions, children could be fitted with hearing aids to improve their hearing and ensure they’re learning to speak clearly and precisely.
Even adults articulate and communicate better when they hear clearly.
Improved Workplace Confidence
If you’re going to accomplish your daily work tasks competently, you need to be able to hear. Unfinished tasks, missed deadlines, and misunderstandings will be the result if you are unable to hear conversations with coworkers. The use of hearing aids can help you prevent these issues, and allow you to have greater pride and fulfillment in your career. Improved communication skills will make your interaction with your coworkers smoother also.
You should contact your local hearing professional if you believe hearing loss is causing you to miss out on important conversations. They can help you determine if hearing aids will help you hear better and improve your general health.
References
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_accelerates_brain_function_decline_in_older_adults
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/in-the-journals-hearing-aids-may-help-improve-brain-function#:~:text=A%20study%20to%20be%20published,according%20to%20lead%20researcher%20Dr.
