Even when it’s fairly mild, hearing loss can have a huge impact on your life. The way you connect with friends, coworkers, and family members can change dramatically. Daily activities like going to the grocery store can become more difficult. But it doesn’t have to have this kind of negative affect on you. If you use a well calibrated hearing aid, it can make a huge difference.
Most individuals usually think of those advantages in a very linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s true. But how do hearing aids enhance quality of life? Just how far do the benefits of hearing aids go?
Hearing aid’s top ten benefits
It’s sort of amazing, isn’t it, how we can so often come up with top ten lists for everything? When you got up today, did you think you’d be reading a top ten list about hearing aids? I mean, if you’ve been aware of your hearing loss for a while… perhaps you did!
So, what are the top ten benefits connected with wearing your hearing aid? Here they are!
1. You will have improved relationships.
Strong communication is critical to any great relationship. But when you have untreated hearing loss, communication can be a real challenge. But when you wear hearing aids, you’ll be able to hear the entire conversation without missing anything. You’ll be able to follow along with the conversation and get the entire story.
This also means you won’t feel excluded from the conversation, and you won’t feel resentful that the conversations continue without you. So you will have an improvement in your relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues. There is a strong link between relationships and hearing aids!
2. You’ll be more independent
Shopping at the grocery store or going to a restaurant when you have neglected hearing loss can feel like an ordeal. Attempting to communicate with wait staff and cashiers can be challenging when you can’t hear that well. But with a pair of hearing aids, the entire process quickly becomes a lot easier. You’ll have much more independence when you move around the world around you.
Driving will also be less hazardous. That’s because your general situational awareness will be enhanced by your hearing aids. When you hear more of the world, you’ll be capable of doing more by yourself, and you’ll be able to do it with less anxiety.
3. You might make more money
Consider this hypothetical situation: if you’re missing large parts of what’s being discussed during meetings at work, your work performance will suffer. This can lead to reduced job opportunities and being passed-up for promotions.
When you’re wearing precisely tuned hearing aids, you will be less fatigued from straining to hear, and following along with those meetings will be a lot easier. By doing this you can have a chance to raise your income by increasing your ability to focus on work.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will lessen
Tinnitus is that buzzing or ringing in the ear that the majority of us have experienced occasionally. Tinnitus symptoms will frequently be more extreme and frequent with hearing loss (tinnitus is sometimes louder with hearing loss simply because everything else is quieter, but there could also be other reasons too).
Many people report that their tinnitus symptoms ease up when they wear a hearing aid. In these circumstances, that’s because the hearing aid is overpowering the sound of the tinnitus. But relief is relief.
5. Reduced risk of mental decline
There is a firm link between cognitive decline and hearing loss. For instance, untreated hearing loss can seriously elevate your risk of developing dementia. There are numerous hypotheses about why this might be, but the bottom line is that treating your hearing loss seems to be helpful! That’s why it isn’t a good idea to forget to wear your hearing aid. You might be giving your brain a greater chance of staying healthy longer.
6. You can appreciate music again
It’s tough to appreciate music, in its full entirety, when you have hearing loss. That’s because hearing loss is likely to effect one wavelength of sound first, then another. For example, you might be unable to pick up low frequencies. The music you used to like, as a result, might sound… different.
With your hearing aids, however, those missing holes in the music will be filled in, and you can appreciate music again! You’ll hear all of the wavelengths and your music won’t sound so muffled. Hearing your favorite song again can be extremely enjoyable.
7. You’ll get a boost of confidence
Being able to hear better and interact more thoroughly will give you a boost of confidence. And who doesn’t like confidence?
We’re not implying that you shouldn’t have confidence just because you have hearing loss. We’re just saying that you may find yourself having a hard time interacting with others, especially if your hearing loss is new.
Those interactions can become easier again when you use hearing aids. And that can lead to improved confidence.
8. Your vitality will be increased
If your hearing impairment has been slowly progressing, your brain has likely been working overtime. That’s because your brain doesn’t know your ears aren’t working right, so it’s constantly trying to fill in the audio holes that your hearing loss has created. That’s hard work. And so, your brain is under continual strain.
When you get a hearing aid, you’re giving your brain the opportunity to relax and recharge. It will have less work to accomplish. Which means you won’t feel so consistently tired and drained. You’ll enjoy doing the things that are stimulating for you with this increased energy.
9. Being more mindful of your surroundings will keep you safer
If your hearing loss is recent, you might not yet have entirely adjusted. Ordinarily, you would hear approaching traffic before you step out into the road. You’re accustomed to hearing the ambulance siren before you check the rearview mirror.
If your hearing loss is recent, or you aren’t conscious of it, you may presume that some scenarios are safe when they actually aren’t. And that can be a dangerous proposition.
This lost awareness will be recovered by using hearing aids. So you’ll be able to make wiser, less dangerous choices.
10. You will set a good example!
The one thing that can be even harder than change is personal growth. You’re admitting that things aren’t functioning effectively now when you invest in a hearing aid. But you’re improving yourself too.
There’s nothing wrong with that! It’s the kind of thing we should all work for! So when you put in your hearing aids, you’re setting yourself up as a positive example and role model. You should be proud of yourself.
Have your hearing checked today
When you use hearing aids you will hear better and that’s the principal benefit. That one’s obvious. But there are lots of advantages to using hearing aids. This top ten list is just that, one little list of just ten of these advantages.
Your top ten list might look a little different. No matter what advantages you look forward to the most, the first step is scheduling an appointment with us to have your hearing tested.
