Hearing loss most often begins slowly so you don’t even realize it has taken hold until you struggle to hear in even the most quiet of situations. In the meantime, as certain pitches and tones become undetectable by your ears, you may find yourself struggling to hear your family, friends, co-workers and people you encounter daily.
The longer this goes on the more of an impact hearing loss can have on your life. Study after study finds that investing in hearing aids can significantly improve your emotional health, physical health and improve your ability to secede in the workplace for years to come!
Improved Quality of Life
When people struggle to hear everyday conversations their relationships in their life can easily become strained. This can cause huge rifts in the relationships that people rely on for support, inspiration and affirmation. As hearing loss continues to go ignored, a feeling of alienation can lead people with hearing issues to feel depressed, anxious and self-isolate.
A recent report combined the findings of many studies across the world and found that untreated hearing loss has serious negative impacts on social life and linked it to how this impacts an individual’s quality of life. Surveys show that more than 8 out of 10 hearing aid wearers experience improvements in their overall quality of life. The surveys reported less mental fatigue, improved sleep, a better mood and improved memory, when compared to non-users.
Improved Physical Health
Not only does wearing hearing aids improve relationships and mood but physical health as well. When you can hear your loved ones, coworkers and everyone else, you are more likely to stay more active. When you can hear you are more likely to go out, stay social and feel more confident engaging in regular exercise. Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day along with a healthy diet of whole foods, can lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular function.
There is a direct correlation between hearing health, blood pressure and heart health. Because hearing relies on a healthy blood supply to the inner ear, keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level and your heart strong can also protect your hearing. In addition to improving self-esteem, sense of independence and likeliness of being more active, using hearing aids can also enhance your awareness of your environment.
Aside from allowing you to safely navigate the world, a 2013 study finds that wearing hearing aids regularly has been shown to reduce the risk of injury from falls. The study found that people with hearing loss who wear hearing aids are at a 1.4x lower risk of being injured in a fall. The study found that as the severity of your hearing loss increases, so does the risk of accident, injuries and hospitalizations.
Hearing Loss, Employment and School
Of the people who report hearing loss in the US, 60 percent are either in the workplace or an educational setting. Hearing loss can make it hard to follow important instructions, and easy to key information. Over time this can impact your job. Employers begin to rely on you less as you may seem to “drop the ball” on important tasks or assignments.
In an educational environment, undiagnosed hearing loss affects people’s ability to absorb information and follow important lectures. There are laws in place to protect the rights of the hearing impaired, as it is classified as a disability, which requires reasonable accommodations to employees and students. However, it is hard to take advantage of these protections when your hearing loss is undiagnosed.
According to a study by the Better Hearing Institute, those with unaided hearing loss earned on average $20,000 less annually than those who wore hearing aids. This can add up to quite an economic impact on a society of people who could benefit from hearing aids but do not use them, in fact $176 billion in the US alone. However using hearing aids in the workplace or educational environment can give you equal footing to those with normal hearing.
Enjoy the Benefits of Hearing Aids Now
Don’t wait for things to get worse. If you suspect that you have even a slight hearing loss, deal with it today and avoid the stress of navigating the world with poor hearing. Make an appointment today so you can get back to enjoying the life you love.