Whether it’s a lifestyle change or simply a commitment to keep in touch with loved ones better, New Year’s Resolutions can be a great way to motivate you to make a fresh start.
The resolutions that are generally most successful are those that are easiest to keep. If you’re looking for a straightforward resolution that you can repeat year after year, consider adding improved hearing to your new year’s health goals!
Why it is essential to schedule an annual hearing test
Hearing specialists recommend that adults aged 50 and over schedule an annual hearing test. People often do not realize how much hearing loss is affecting their lives. This is because hearing loss can happen gradually over time.
Most hearing loss generally occurs between 60 and 69. Promoting healthy hearing becomes even more vital as we age – especially considering some of the most common types of hearing loss are preventable.
Hearing loss is common
Hearing loss is the third most common medical condition in the United States. That being said, people will wait, on average, ten years from the date of an initial diagnosis of hearing loss to getting fitted for hearing aids.
This statistic may seem surprising when you consider that 1 in 3 Americans over 65 experience hearing loss. Overall, 20% of Americans experience hearing loss, along with 360 million people worldwide.
Nevertheless, fewer than one in three people over the age of 70 who would benefit from hearing devices take the step to get fitted for and using them.
How hearing loss may negatively affect your relationships
Living with untreated hearing loss may have a more considerable impact than one realizes. For most people, hearing loss develops over time, which means that it may be challenging to recognize the difficulty others have in communicating, or the tension created by hearing loss.
Studies have shown that improvement of relationships is a significant benefit to treating hearing loss through hearing instruments. The use of hearing devices can lead to better communication with loved ones, at the workplace or in social situations.
Workplace performance and hearing loss
Those who experience hearing loss are likely to earn less than their not-hard of hearing due to communication or other factors. There is a direct link between the disparity of earnings and severity of hearing loss – the more severe the hearing loss, the greater the disparity.
Unfortunately, however, people experiencing hearing loss are less likely to be employed at all.
There is some good news! Treating hearing loss through the use of hearing devices can help improve communication. Assistance can also come from the way we communicate. Suppose hearing loss is disclosed to others upfront and includes tips on accommodating that hearing loss. In that case, studies indicate that people will be more willing to show support.
Not only is communication made more accessible by hearing aids, but it also leads to less stress about communicating in, for instance, noisy environments – something that directly impacts social inclusion in the workplace. This also has an even more significant impact on 50 years of age or older.
Impacts upon mental health
People aged 50 years and up who experience hearing loss are 2.5 times more likely to develop depression than those without hearing loss.
Many studies have linked hearing loss with a rise in the likelihood of depression and other mental health issues such as social isolation, loneliness, frustration, and dependence.
According to a British survey, two in three British people with hearing loss reported feeling socially isolated due to their hearing loss. However, 1 in 10 people still said that they would not wear a hearing device. This perceived stigma needs to be addressed, especially when considering the prevalence of hearing loss and the potential impacts on a person’s lifestyle and attitude.
Schedule an annual hearing test in the New Year
What is one way to address this stigma? Use this New Year as a time to set a resolution to tackle hearing loss and schedule your hearing test today!
Hearing loss is common and has significant links with aging and potential detrimental impacts. It makes sense to tackle hearing loss head-on. Our hearing instrument specialists will work with you to assess the best approach to tackling your hearing loss. Contact us today!