Hearing loss can really impact the way you live, even when it’s minor. The way you connect with friends, coworkers, and family members can change significantly. Daily activities like going to the grocery store can become more difficult. But that doesn’t mean it has to be all doom and gloom. If you use a well adjusted hearing aid, it can make a huge difference.
Most individuals usually think of those advantages in a really linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s not untrue. But how is the quality of life improved? Just how far do the benefits of hearing aids go?
The top ten reasons to invest in hearing aids
We people just love making top ten lists. When you got up today, did you think you’d be reading a top ten list about hearing aids? Well, perhaps you did if you’ve been coping with your hearing loss for a while.
So, what are the top ten advantages associated with wearing your hearing aid? Here they are!
1. You will have better relationships.
For any relationship to be great, strong communication is crucial. But communication can be problematic when you have untreated hearing loss. But when you use hearing aids, you’ll be capable of hearing the entire conversation without missing anything. You’ll be able to keep up with the conversation and get the whole story.
You won’t be resentful and feel excluded from conversations. So your general relationships, amongst your friends, co-workers, and loved ones, will improve. The link between hearing aids and relationships is a strong one!
2. You’ll be more independent
When you’re dealing with neglected hearing loss, activities such as shopping or dining out can be a real ordeal. Attempting to communicate with wait staff and cashiers can be difficult when you can’t hear that well. But the overall process becomes easier when you use hearing aids. You can navigate a lot more independently.
Driving will also be safer. That’s because your hearing aids will enhance your all-around situational awareness (more on that in a bit). When you hear more of the world, you’ll be able to do more without any help, and you’ll be able to do it with less anxiety.
3. Stronger hearing may result in higher income
Let’s toss out a hypothetical: if you’re missing large portions of what’s being discussed during meetings at work, your work performance will be affected negatively. This can lead to passed promotions or even dicey job prospects.
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 much easier. This can increase your focus on work and put you in a better position to grow your income.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will lessen
Tinnitus is one of those things that the majority of individuals have experienced from time to time; it’s that buzzing or ringing in your ear. When you suffer from hearing loss, tinnitus can usually be felt much more intensely (there are a number of explanations for this, sometimes the tinnitus is just relatively noisier because everything else is so quiet, for instance).
Many people observe that their tinnitus symptoms ease up when they use a hearing aid. In these instances, that’s because the hearing aid is drowning out the sound of the tinnitus. But we will take relief where we can get it, right?
5. Reduced chance of cognitive decline
There is a firm link between cognitive decline and hearing loss. Your risk of developing dementia can be seriously elevated by ignoring hearing loss, for instance. There are lots of hypotheses about why this might be, but the end result is that treating your hearing loss appears to help! That’s why it isn’t a good idea to forget to put in your hearing aid. You might be giving your brain a better chance of remaining healthy longer.
6. You can appreciate music again
When you have hearing loss music is more difficult to hear clearly. That’s because hearing loss tends to impact 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.
You will be able to enjoy music again with your hearing aids replacing missing sound. You’ll get the high notes and the low notes, instead of only one or the other (or a muffled mess). It can be an amazing relief to hear your favorite song again.
7. You’ll get an increase in confidence
Your confidence will be boosted when you can hear better and have more successful interactions. And who doesn’t like confidence?
We’re not suggesting that you shouldn’t be confident simply because you have hearing loss. It’s just that, especially if that hearing loss is new, you might suddenly find it difficult to interact with people in the same ways you usually do.
Those interactions can become easier again with hearing aids. And that can lead to improved confidence.
8. You’ll have more vigor
If your hearing loss has been gradually progressing, your brain has likely been working overtime. That’s because your brain doesn’t know your ears aren’t working correctly, so it’s constantly trying to fill in the audio holes that your hearing impairment has created. That’s hard work. And it means that your brain is struggling (and strained) almost constantly.
When you get a hearing aid, you’re giving your brain the opportunity to slow down and refresh. It will have less work to accomplish. Which means you won’t feel so consistently tired and depleted. You’ll enjoy doing the things that are exciting for you with this increased energy.
9. You’ll be safer and more aware of your environment
You may not have adapted to your hearing loss, particularly if it’s recent. Normally, you would hear approaching traffic before you step out into the street. You’re used to hearing the emergency siren before you check the rearview mirror.
If your hearing loss is new, or you aren’t aware of it, you might assume that some scenarios are safe when they actually aren’t. And that can be a hazardous proposition.
Hearing aids will help reestablish that lost awareness. So you’ll be able to make smarter, safer decisions.
10. You’ll be a positive example!
The one thing that can be even more challenging 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 also attempting to better the situation.
There’s nothing wrong with that! It’s the kind of thing we should all work for! So when you pop in your hearing aids, you’re setting yourself up as a positive example and role model. (It’s fine, you can blush a bit, you deserve it.)
Have your hearing checked as soon as you can
The primary benefit of hearing aids is that you get to enjoy hearing better. That goes without saying. But there are plenty of benefits to using hearing aids. This top ten list is just that, one little list of just ten of these benefits.
Your top ten list might look a little different. Scheduling an appointment with us for a hearing exam is the first step no matter what advantages you look forward to.