In the past, hearing aids have carried a stigma. If you use one, people might think of you as aging. What is the outcome?
Many people of all ages put themselves in danger of quite a few health problems because they decide not to get hearing aids and decide to live with hearing loss. This is reinforced by the numbers: 30 million individuals in the US suffering from hearing loss, yet only around 15 percent of that population has ever worn a hearing aid.
What’s more, younger people are suffering from hearing loss in greater numbers than ever before: a WHO report from 2015 predicted that 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults would damage their hearing irreparably due to excessive use of headphones and extremely loud music shows.
Still, progressing technology and changing perceptions have begun to frame hearing aids in a new light, and people are starting to look at them in a similar way they view eye-glasses.
Why Should You Wear Hearing Aids
There are a lots of reasons why wearing hearing aids is a good idea, some of them obvious and some of them surprising.
Several of the most common reasons are as follows:
- You’ll have the ability to earn more money
- Conversations will be a lot smoother
- You can lessen tinnitus symptoms
- You won’t need to crank the music or TV up
- You’re brain won’t have to work as hard
- You can hear better (As noted, there were some obvious ones on this list)
- Social activities will be more satisfying
Do these seem like beneficial reasons to you? Some advantage can be gained by wearing hearing aids even for people with minor hearing loss.
What many people aren’t aware of is that hearing loss is connected to mental decline, mental health problems, and conditions like Alzheimers disease and dementia.
Research points to a number of different reasons why this may happen, including that the brain becomes overtaxed and overtired because it’s always trying to comprehend sounds. It might be that the brain cells don’t receive enough stimulation so they shrink and die, or it could be because of the leading cause of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues which is social isolation.
Hearing aids can change things for the better by allowing you to hear clearly and understand the words and sounds around you. Your brain can then process the sounds as it normally would without having to use additional resources, while you will start to enjoy conversations and social experiences again because you will gain more confidence.
Technological Advances in Hearing Aids
We told you why it’s necessary for anyone with hearing loss, old or young, to wear hearing aids. Now it’s time to find out how hearing aids have advanced in the past few years.
The bulky, over-the-ear hearing aids are still out there for the people who want them. They also have progressed to the point that they can determine where sound is originating from and can filter out sound effectively. However, there are new and improved versions of hearing aids that are nearly unnoticeable, yet contain quite a bit of technology to work with today’s digital world.
Do you want to sync your hearing aid to your smartphone, tablet, television, or even your car’s navigation system? Then you’re in luck since the majority of modern hearing aids come equipped with Bluetooth technology that allows them to connect with a range of devices. There are even higher-end models keep track of your physical health, take calls for you, stream music. Smart hearing aids are becoming a must for anybody who has hearing impairment because much like your smartwatch and smartphone, they’re just made to do more. So now that you are ready to manage your hearing loss and begin wearing a hearing aid, consult with us for an appointment and hearing assessment.