Having to visit the ER can be personally and financially costly. What if you could lessen ER visits and dramatically decrease your chances of depression, anxiety, and even dementia.
Surfacing research makes the case that, for people with serious hearing loss, wearing their hearing aid could be the difference between staying connected and healthy and winding up spending many evenings in the emergency room.
The Study
Participants between the ages of 65 and 85 participated in a University of Michigan study. Each had significant hearing loss. But out of all of those people who participated, only 45% of them wore their hearing aids on a regular basis.
This is in agreement with comparable studies which have shown that only around 30% of people who have hearing aids actually wear them.
Of the 585 people in the hearing aid group, 12 fewer people ended up in the ER or non-elective hospital stay.
This might not seem like a very large number. But it’s statistically significant.
And there’s more. They also determined that those who wore their hearing aids spend, on average, one day fewer in the hospital. They were more likely to show up for regular appointments with their doctors, which probably reduced their time in ER.
How Can ER Visits be Decreased by Wearing Hearing Aids?
The first one is obvious. If a person is keeping up with their health, they’re more likely to stay out of ER.
Other studies have revealed that when people with hearing loss wear their hearing aids, they stay more connected to friends, family, and the community. When a person is socially involved they are normally more motivated to keep their appointments and also have more support from family and friends getting to the doctor.
For those bringing themselves, it means that they can drive more safely with less stress about what they can’t hear.
One study conducted in the U.S. discovered that depression is two times as likely in people who don’t use their hearing aid. Health problems linked to lack of self care is commonly an outcome of depression.
Thirdly, numerous studies have found that using your hearing aid can reduce fall risk and dementia. The region of the brain that’s used for hearing will begin to decline from lack of use as hearing declines. With time, this can extend through the brain. As this occurs, people commonly experience dementia symptoms and the disorientation and lack of balance connected with falls.
Long hospital stays often accompany falls and falling is a leading cause of senior death.
Hearing aids decrease visits to the ER for these reasons amongst others.
So Why is Wearing Hearing Aids Something That so Many Individuals Avoid?
There’s truly no good reason.
Some people don’t use them because they think that hearing aids make them seem older than they are. 25% of individuals over 65 and 50% of people above the age of 75 have hearing loss and yet this perception of looking old with hearing aids persists. Hearing loss is not unusual. It happens to lots of people. Additionally, hearing loss is on the rise even among 20-year-olds thanks to earbuds and the increase in noise pollution.
Ironically, constantly asking people to repeat what they said often makes a person seem a lot older than they are.
Some people cite the costs of hearing aids. However, financing is available for hearing aids and prices have come down in the past few years.
Lastly, some don’t like the hearing experience with their hearing aid. This can typically be fixed by simply consulting your hearing specialist to find out how to more successfully use your hearing aid in different settings. Hearing aids can require multiple fittings before they are just right.
Make an appointment with your hearing specialist so we can help you feel more comfortable wearing your hearing aids.