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Do you struggle to hear what people are saying more often than not? Do you find that people complain about the volume of the TV when it sounds just fine to you? These are signs of hearing loss and while it’s common and easy to underestimate its effects on your life, it’s a big mistake. Most people wait 7 to 10 years to address a suspected hearing loss and during that time it can cause rifts in your closest relationships, affect your earnings at work, lead to cognitive decline increasing your risk of dementia and increase your risk of accidents leading to hospitalization.
Overall, addressing a hearing loss is a quality of life issue but it can be treated effectively with hearing aids. Hearing aids can make huge improvements in how you are able to communicate and how you interact with your environment. However, many people put off addressing hearing loss due to the fear around the cost of hearing aids. Instead, we urge you to consider new hearing aids as an investment in your overall well-being.
Taking Action Against Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can occur at any age; however the risk rises as we age. By the time we are 65 there is a one in three chance you have a hearing deficit and by the time we reach 75 the risk has jumped to one in three. If you are approaching 60, it’s recommended to screen for hearing loss about every three years to detect a hearing loss before it has a chance to affect a wide range of aspects concerning your health.
Social Benefits of Treating Hearing Loss
Hearing aids are now almost exclusively digital, producing a clearer sound with more enhancement of audio than ever before. They can be programed to amplify the sounds you struggle with based on your hearing exam while allowing the rest to be heard with your existing hearing. This means you are able to connect to the people in your life with added ease. No more struggling to fill in the blanks in parts of words and sentences. Humans are social creatures and social interaction can fill us with a sense of belonging, purpose, and connection. When we can listen better our relationships become stronger. An investment in hearing aids means an investment in the people and the community you love and who loves you back.
Cognitive Benefits of Treating Hearing Loss
Not only does enhanced hearing allow you to connect to the people in your life but it keeps your brain sharper. One of the greatest risks of unaddressed hearing loss is it’s effects on the brain. When we struggle to fill in the blanks in conversation it puts a strain on our brain forcing our cognitive function to work overtime and leaving our entire body exhausted by even a simple social interaction. At the same time, when sounds can’t reach the brain, the parts of the auditory cortex devoted to processing those sounds stop receiving signals. Over years, these cells can start to die, causing brain atrophy, a major health risk for cognitive decline and dementia. In 2013, a study conducted by the ABC Health Study Group findings revealed that treating hearing loss reduced risk for dementia and other cognitive issues.
Another recent study titled “Association of Hearing Impairment and Mortality in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey” revealed that a moderate to severe hearing loss increased the risk of death by 54 percent, compared with individuals with normal hearing. Even a mild impairment increased the risk of mortality by 24%.
Financial Benefits of Treating Hearing Loss
If you are worried about the cost of hearing aids, consider the devastating cost of avoiding treatment. An important finding from the Better Hearing Institute reported that on average people with an untreated hearing loss made $30,000 less annually than contemporaries with normal hearing. When you struggle to communicate at work, your co-workers and employers will notice. You may complete tasks incorrectly or miss important information due to miscommunications – some of which could translate into safety issue for you and your co-workers. However, studies show that those who treat their hearing loss have the same earning power as colleagues with normal hearing.
An Investment in the Future
When you invest in your health now your future self will thank you. Schedule an appointment for a hearing exam today and invest in a higher quality of life starting now!