Hearing aids could benefit approximately 28 million people. Which means that 28 million people would here their environment better if they wore hearing aids. But there are also some other, somewhat surprising health advantages that you can start to enjoy thanks to your hearing aids.
It turns out that something as straight forward as using your hearing aids could be good for your physical and mental health. These little devices can help stop (or delay) everything from depression to fall-induced-injury. Your hearing aids can literally keep you on your feet.
Mental Health Benefits of Hearing Aids
Modern medical studies have firmly demonstrated a connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. Mental illnesses such as dementia, cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression, according to current thinking, can be induced by hearing loss as a consequence of a combination of physical, mental and social factors.
So it’s not surprising that recent analyses has shown that hearing aids could have considerable mental health benefits.
Dementia Risks Reduced
As reported by one study, wearing your hearing aids can help decrease your chances of developing dementia by as much as 18%. That’s a fantastic advantage when the only thing you have to do is remember to wear your hearing aids every day.
Other studies have indicated that wearing your hearing aids regularly can slow the onset of dementia by up to two years. Further research needs to be done to help clarify and duplicate these findings, but it’s definitely encouraging.
Decrease Anxiety And Depression
Depression and anxiety aren’t symptoms that are exclusive to individuals who have hearing loss. But people with hearing loss have been shown to be at a higher risk of anxiety and depression over time.
When you use hearing aids, you tend to stay more mentally focused and socially engaged. If those factors were contributing to depression and anxiety, they can help.
You Won’t be as Lonely
While dementia may sound much more extreme, for people with neglected hearing loss, loneliness can be a genuine problem, social solitude often being the cause and adding fuel to the fire. That social separation can cause considerable changes to your disposition. So being able to stay social and involved with help from your hearing aid can be a huge advantage.
To be sure, this is connected to your hearing aids’ ability to decrease the risks of depression, for instance. To a certain degree, all of these health problems are linked in some manner.
Hearing Aids And Physical Benefits
As your hearing impairment worsens, there is some research that shows that you could be at a higher risk of having a stroke. But that specific research is undoubtedly on the preliminary side. The most obvious (and noticeable) physical advantage of hearing aids is a little simpler: you won’t fall as often.
There are a couple of explanations for this:
- Situational awareness: With hearing aids, your situational awareness will be enhanced letting you steer clear of obstacles and avoid falling.
- Fall detection: In some cases, it’s not the fall that’s dangerous. Rather, it’s your inability to get back up that produces possible danger. Fall detection is a built-in feature of many newer hearing aid designs. You can program emergency phone numbers into your phone which will automatically be called if you take a tumble.
As you get older falling down can have a disastrous impact on your health. So your overall health can be protected by decreasing damage from falls or avoiding them altogether.
Wear Your Hearing Aids Everyday
It’s worth noting that all of these benefits apply to individuals who suffer from hearing conditions. If you have healthy hearing, then wearing a hearing aid will most likely not decrease your risk of dementia, for instance.
But if you do have hearing loss, the best thing you can do for your ears, and for overall health, is to use your hearing aids.
