Hearing loss can really effect how you live, even when it’s mild. The way you interact with friends, coworkers, and family members can change substantially. It can become difficult to complete daily activities such as going shopping. But it doesn’t need to have this kind of negative impact on you. On the contrary, a well calibrated pair of hearing aids can make a big difference.
Most individuals usually think of those benefits in a really linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s true. But how do hearing aids improve quality of life? Just how far do the benefits of hearing aids go?
Hearing aid’s top ten benefits
It’s kind of amazing, isn’t it, how people can so frequently produce top ten lists for everything? I bet you didn’t think you would be reading a top ten list about hearing aids when you woke up this morning. I mean, if you’ve known about your hearing loss for a while… perhaps you did!
So, what are the top ten benefits linked to using your hearing aid? Here they are!
1. You will have better relationships.
Great communication is crucial to any great relationship. But communication can be challenging when you have untreated hearing loss. But when you wear hearing aids, you’ll be capable of hearing the whole conversation without missing anything. You’ll hear everything, you’ll get the full story, and you’ll be able to keep up with the conversation.
This also means you won’t feel excluded from the conversation, and you won’t feel resentful that the conversations go on without you. So you will have an improvement in your relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues. There is a strong link between relationships and hearing aids!
2. You’ll be more independent
Shopping at the supermarket or going to a restaurant when you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss can be an ordeal. Trying to communicate with wait staff and cashiers can be tricky when you can’t hear very well. But the entire process becomes easier when you have hearing aids. You’ll have much more independence when you move around the world around you.
Driving will also be less hazardous. That’s because your hearing aids will enhance your total situational awareness (more on that later). You won’t be as anxious about doing things without help when you’re able to hear the world more clearly.
3. Better hearing may lead to higher income
Let’s throw out a hypothetical: if you’re missing large portions of what’s being discussed during meetings at work, your job performance will suffer. This can result in lost promotions or even dicey job opportunities.
When you’re wearing precisely tuned hearing aids, you will be less exhausted from straining to hear, and keeping up with those meetings will be a lot easier. By doing this you can have a chance to raise your income by improving your ability to focus on work.
4. You’ll have reduced tinnitus symptoms
Tinnitus is one of those things that most individuals have experienced at times; it’s that buzzing or ringing in your ear. Tinnitus symptoms will commonly be more intense and more often with hearing loss (tinnitus is sometimes louder with hearing loss simply because everything else is quieter, but there may also be other reasons too).
With a hearing aid, many people observe that they experience reduced tinnitus symptoms. The louder overall external sound provided by the hearing aid might be, in some cases, just drowning out the tinnitus symptoms. But relief is relief.
5. Less chance of developing dementia
Hearing impairment and cognitive decline are definitely linked. For example, neglected hearing loss can seriously raise your chance of developing dementia. Managing hearing loss appears to be helpful, though there are many theories as to why. That’s why it isn’t a good idea to forget to put in your hearing aid. You could be helping the health of your brain!
6. You can enjoy music again
When you suffer from hearing loss music is harder to hear clearly. That’s because one wavelength of sound usually goes before the others. Maybe you can’t hear low frequencies, for instance. The music you used to like, as a result, might sound… different.
With your hearing aids, however, those missing gaps in the music will be filled in, and you can appreciate music again! You’ll hear all of the frequencies and your music won’t sound so muffled. It can be a great relief to hear your favorite band again.
7. You’ll get an increase in confidence
Your confidence will be boosted when you can hear better and have more effective interactions. And confidence is a wonderful thing.
This isn’t to say that hearing impairment should rob you of your confidence. We’re simply saying that you may find yourself having a hard time interacting with others, especially if your hearing loss is new.
A hearing aid can make those interactions easier again. And that can result in a boost in confidence.
8. Your vitality will be increased
Your brain is probably working overtime if your hearing loss is slowly progressing. That’s because your brain doesn’t recognize your ears aren’t working right, so it’s continuously attempting to fill in the audio gaps that your hearing loss has produced. That’s… a lot of work! And it means that your brain is working (and strained) almost all the time.
When you get a hearing aid, you’re giving your brain the opportunity to slow down and refresh. It will have less work to do. Which means you won’t feel so constantly exhausted and depleted. You’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy doing!
9. Being more aware of your surroundings will keep you safer
You might not have adapted to your hearing loss, especially if it’s recent. Normally, you would hear oncoming traffic before you step out into the road. You’re used to hearing the emergency siren before you look in the rearview mirror.
You may assume certain situations are safe when, because you’re unaware of your hearing loss, or you’ve disregarded it, they really aren’t. And that can be a hazardous proposition.
Hearing aids will help restore that lost awareness. So you’ll be capable of making wiser, less dangerous decisions.
10. You’ll be a positive example!
Change can be hard, and personal growth harder still. You’re acknowledging that things aren’t working effectively now when you invest in a hearing aid. But you’re bettering yourself too.
There’s nothing wrong with that! It’s the type of thing we should all work for! So when you put in your hearing aids, you’re making yourself a positive example and role model. You should be proud of yourself.
Schedule a hearing exam right away
The primary advantage of hearing aids is that you get to enjoy hearing better. That goes without saying. But as you can tell, there are lots of immediate advantages of hearing aids! This top ten list is in no way exhaustive.
Your top ten list may look a little different. Scheduling an appointment with us for a hearing test is the first step no matter what advantages you look forward to.