In the past, hearing aids have carried a stigma. Some people just correlate them with old age. The effect?
Lots of people of every age put themselves at risk from numerous health problems because they decide not to get hearing aids and choose to deal with hearing loss. The numbers reinforce this: 30 million individuals in the US suffering from hearing loss, yet only about 15 percent of that group has ever worn a hearing aid.
At the same time, more and more young people are addressing hearing loss: a WHO report from 2015 predicted that too much use of headphones and overly loud concerts and festivals will cause over 1.1 billion teens and young adults to permanently injure their hearing.
However, changing attitudes and sophisticated technology have given hearing aids a new outlook, and pretty soon they’ll be in the same class as eye-glasses – and contact lenses, for that matter.
If You Require Hearing Aids, You Should Wear Them, This Is Why
There are a lots of reasons why wearing hearing aids is a smart idea, some of them are surprising and some are obvious.
Some of the most common reasons are as follows:
- You can reduce tinnitus symptoms
- You can listen to music and television at normal volumes
- You can enjoy social activities and settings again
- You’ll have the ability to earn more money
- You’re brain won’t need to work as hard
- You won’t struggle as much having conversations
- You’ll be able to hear better (As noted, there were some obvious ones on the list)
Do these sound like beneficial reasons to you? Even somebody with mild hearing damage can get some advantage from using hearing aids.
What many people don’t know is that hearing loss is connected to cognitive decline, mental health problems, and conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
This could occur for a few different reasons as reported by research, including that the brain becomes overtaxed and overtired because it’s always trying to comprehend sounds. It might be that the brain cells don’t receive enough activation so they shrink and die, or it could be due to the leading cause of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues which is social isolation.
By letting you hear words and sounds around you more clearly, hearing aids can help lessen these issues. Your brain can then process these sounds as it typically would without needing to use extra resources, while you’ll gain the ability and confidence to find enjoyment in social experiences and conversations again.
Hearing Aids Have Advanced in Sophistication
We told you why it’s essential for anybody with hearing loss, young or old, to use hearing aids. Now it’s time to learn how hearing aids have progressed in the last few years.
The cumbersome, over-the-ear hearing aids are still available for the people who want them. They do their task effectively and have advanced to the point where most of them have no problem filtering out background sounds like wind or determining what direction sound comes from. However, there are new and improved versions of hearing aids that are almost invisible, yet pack a lot of technology to fit in with today’s digital environment.
Would you like to sync your hearing aid to your smartphone, tablet, tv, or even your car’s GPS? Most modern hearing aids have Bluetooth technology so you’re in luck. There are even higher-end models keep track of your physical health, take calls for you, stream music. Hearing aids today are made to do more – much like your smartwatch and smartphone, smart hearing aids will come to be a must-have accessory for anybody who has hearing loss. So now that you are ready to tackle your hearing loss and start wearing a hearing aid, consult with us for an appointment and hearing assessment.