In the past, hearing aids have had a stigma. Some people simply correlate them with old age. The effect?
Many people of every age put themselves at risk from quite a few health problems because they forgo getting hearing aids and decide to deal with hearing loss. This is backed up by the numbers: 30 million people in the US suffering from hearing loss, yet only around 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 excessive use of headphones and overly loud music shows and festivals will cause over 1.1 billion teens and young adults to permanently damage their hearing.
However, advancing technology and changing perceptions have started to frame hearing aids in a new light, and people are starting to look at them in a similar way they look at eye-glasses.
If You Need Hearing Aids, You Should Wear Them, Here’s Why
There are a ton of reasons why you should wear hearing aids, some of them obvious and some of them unexpected.
Some of the most common reasons are as follows:
- You’ll boost your earning power
- Conversations will be a lot smoother
- You’re brain won’t need to work so hard
- You can reduce tinnitus symptoms
- You can hear better (As noted, there were some obvious ones on the list)
- You won’t have to crank the music or TV up
- You can appreciate social activities and situations again
Do these seem like good reasons to you? Even a person with slight hearing loss can find some advantage from using hearing aids.
What many people don’t know is that hearing loss is connected to mental decline, mental health problems, and conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Research points to a few different reasons why this may happen, including that the brain becomes overtaxed and overtired because it’s always striving to comprehend sounds. it could be that the brain cells shrink and die because they don’t receive enough stimulation, or it could be connected to social isolation, which is a leading cause of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.
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 typically would without needing to use additional resources, while you’ll gain the confidence and ability to find enjoyment in social activities and conversations again.
Hearing Aids Have Developed in Technology
By now it should be apparent why people of any age need to use hearing aids if they need them. Now we’re going to tell you about the how; for example, how hearing aid technology has progressed to the point where they’re no longer your grandparents’ hearing aids.
If really want one of those big over the ear hearing aids, you can still purchase one. They also have progressed to the point that they can identify where sound is coming from and can filter out sound effectively. However, there are more modern versions of hearing aids that are nearly invisible, yet pack quite a lot of technology to work with today’s digital world.
Is syncing your hearing aids to your Bluetooth devices such as your tv, cellphone, or tablet something you would like to do? Most contemporary hearing aids come with Bluetooth technology so you’re in luck. There are even higher-end models keep track of your physical health, stream music, and take calls for you. Hearing aids nowadays are made to do more – much like your smartphone and smartwatch, smart hearing aids will come to be a must-have accessory for anybody suffering from hearing impairment. So now that you’re ready to deal with your hearing loss and begin using a hearing aid, get in touch with us for an appointment and hearing assessment.