Over the years, hearing aids have carried a stigma. If you wear one, people may think of you as aging. The effect?
Lots of people of every age put themselves in danger of quite a few health concerns because they decide not to get hearing aids and decide to live with hearing loss. The numbers back this up: 30 million individuals in the US dealing with hearing loss, yet only about 15 percent of that population has ever worn a hearing aid.
In addition, younger people are suffering from hearing loss in larger numbers than they ever have: a WHO report from 2015 forecasted that 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults would injure their hearing permanently due to over the top use of headphones and extremely loud music events.
However, developing technology and shifting attitudes have started to frame hearing aids in a new light, and people are beginning to view them in a similar way they look at eye-glasses.
Why Should You Wear Hearing Aids
There are a ton of reasons why wearing hearing aids is a smart idea, some of them obvious and some of them surprising.
Several of the most common reasons are as follows:
- You can enjoy social activities and situations again
- One of the obvious factors would be that you can hear better
- You can lessen tinnitus symptoms
- You’ll increase your earning power
- You’ll give your brain a break
- You can listen to television and music at normal volumes
- You won’t struggle as much having conversations
Do these seem like good reasons to you? Some advantage can be gained by using hearing aids even for people with minor hearing loss.
What many people don’t know is that hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline, mental health problems, and conditions like Alzheimers disease and dementia.
Studies point to a number of different reasons why this might happen, this includes the overworking of the brain as it battles to comprehend sounds that it hears. It’s possible that the brain cells shrink and die because they don’t receive enough stimulation, or it may be due to the number one cause of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems which is social isolation.
Hearing aids can change things for the better by allowing you to hear clearly and comprehend the words and sounds near you. Your brain can then process the sounds as it typically would without needing to use additional resources, while you will begin to enjoy conversations and social experiences again because you will have a boost in confidence.
Technological Developments in Hearing Aids
We told you why it’s essential for anyone with hearing loss, old or young, to wear hearing aids. Now it’s time to learn how hearing aids have advanced in the last few years.
If really think you would like one of those big over the ear hearing aids, you can still buy one. They also have advanced to the point that they can figure out where sound is coming from and can filter out sound adequately. However, there are new and improved versions of hearing aids that are nearly invisible, yet contain quite a bit of technology to work with today’s digital environment.
Do you want to connect your hearing aid to your smartphone, tablet, television, or even your car’s GPS? Then you’re in luck since most modern hearing aids come equipped with Bluetooth technology that permits them to sync to a variety of devices. There are even higher-end models keep track of your physical health, stream music, and take calls for you. Hearing aids nowadays are designed to do more – much like your smartphone and smartwatch, smart hearing aids will come to be a must-have accessory for anybody who has hearing loss. So now that you’re ready to manage your hearing loss and begin wearing a hearing aid, consult with us for an appointment and hearing assessment.
