Something like 28 million individuals could be helped by using hearing aids. Needless to say, when we discuss data like that, we usually mean that those 28 million individuals would hear the world a little better if they had some help (like hearing aids). But there are also some other, somewhat unexpected health advantages that you can start to take advantage of thanks to your hearing aids.
Your physical and mental health can, as it turns out, be improved by something as easy as wearing hearing aids. These little gadgets can help prevent (or forestall) everything from depression to fall-induced-injury. In many ways, your hearing aids can help keep you on your feet.
Hearing Aids And Mental Health Advantages
Modern medical research has firmly demonstrated a link between hearing loss and cognitive decline. Currently, the thinking is that, for a mixture of mental, social, and physical causes, hearing loss can trigger an increased danger of mental illness, such as anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and dementia.
So the mental health advantages of hearing aids shouldn’t be all that surprising.
Dementia Risks Decreased
Your chances of dementia can be lowered, based on one study, by nearly 20%. And all you need to do to make the most of this awesome benefit is remember to wear your hearing every day.
Other research has suggested that wearing your hearing aids regularly can delay the onset of dementia by up to two years. Further research needs to be done to help clarify and replicate these findings, but it’s certainly encouraging.
Reduce Anxiety And Depression
Lots of individuals suffer from depression and anxiety even if they don’t have hearing loss. But there’s enough evidence to suggest that those who have hearing loss are at a higher risk of developing both depression and anxiety as time passes.
When you wear hearing aids, you are likely to stay more mentally focused and socially engaged. Hearing aids can be particularly helpful if those factors are contributing to depression and anxiety.
You’ll Feel Less Lonely
While dementia might sound much more severe, for individuals who have neglected hearing loss, loneliness can be a real problem, caused by and exacerbating a sense of social isolation. Your overall mood can be significantly influenced by social isolation. So it can be a huge advantage if your hearing aids can help you remain socially involved.
To be certain, this ties together with your hearing aids’ ability to decrease the risks of depression, for instance. To some degree, all of these health problems are linked in some way.
Hearing Aids And Physical Advantages
As your hearing impairment worsens, there is some research that shows that you could be at a higher risk of having a stroke. But that specific research is undoubtedly on the preliminary side. It’s a little simpler to recognize the more obvious physical advantage of hearing aids: you won’t fall as much.
There are a couple of reasons for this:
- Situational awareness:
- Fall detection: Many times, it’s getting back up after a fall that is the significant danger, not the fall itself. Fall detection is a standard feature of many newer hearing aid designs. You can program emergency phone numbers into your phone which will be automatically called if you take a tumble.
Falling can have very significant health impacts, particularly as you age. So avoiding falls (or reducing the damage from falling) can be a major advantage that ripples throughout your overall health.
Wear Your Hearing Aids Everyday
These benefits, it’s worth pointing out, apply to individuals who suffer from hearing impairment. If your hearing is healthy, then wearing a hearing aid will most likely not decrease your risk of cognitive decline, for example.
But wearing your hearing aids, if you do have hearing loss, is the best thing you can do for general health.