It’s a common misconception that hearing aids restore normal hearing the way eyeglasses or contacts restore 20/20 vision. Instead, they amplify sounds to a volume the wearer can detect.
The average person waits 10 years to seek treatment for their hearing loss. The consequence of waiting, however, can be tragic. The longer you wait, the harder your hearing loss is to treat. This is because you’ve undergone neuroplastic changes that don’t simply reverse when you put your new hearing aids in.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits to hearing aids; just the opposite. Research has shown that wearing hearing aids can prevent or a delay a diagnosis of many conditions, including depression, anxiety, injurious falls and even dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. We review more about the benefits below.
Better Hearing
The most obvious benefit to wearing hearing aids is you’ll hear better than you can without them when dining out with friends at Hank’s Seafood Restaurant. Hearing aids work by amplifying sounds to a level the wearer can detect. In addition, today’s hearing aids boast incredible features that can give your hearing an extra boost with greater ease, including:
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Smartphone compatibility
- Background noise reduction
- Directional microphones
- Automatic programming
Better Mental Health
Hearing loss can be an incredibly isolating experience. When you can’t hear well, you have a harder time connecting with people in conversations. This causes many to socially withdraw, including from their favorite activities, which is a risk factor for depression. Additionally, if you’re worried about misunderstanding people and responding inappropriately, this can be a cause for anxiety. Hearing aids allow you to connect with others with more confidence.
Better Physical Health
A study by Johns Hopkins found that untreated hearing loss is linked to a three-fold greater risk of experiencing a fall. This could be due to a lower overall awareness of your surroundings and/or being unable to use sound information to orient yourself in space. Hearing aids can help improve both these aspects and prevent an injurious fall.
Better Cognitive Health
Another study by Johns Hopkins uncovered the following: “Compared with volunteers with normal hearing, those with mild, moderate, and severe hearing loss had twofold, threefold, and fivefold, respectively, the risk of developing dementia over time.” While more research is needed to uncover exactly how hearing aids can help prevent or delay dementia, the study cited above found them to be helpful.
For more information on a hearing aid upgrade or to schedule an appointment, call Charleston ENT & Allergy today.