Hearing aids could benefit approximately 28 million people. Naturally, when we talk about statistics like that, we generally mean that those 28 million people would hear their surroundings a little bit more clearly if they had some help (like hearing aids). But there are also certain other, relatively unexpected health advantages that you can start to take advantage of thanks to your hearing aids.
As it turns out, something as easy as wearing your hearing aids could be good for your physical and mental health. These little devices can help counter (or delay) everything from depression to fall-induced-injury. Your hearing aids can literally keep you on your feet.
Hearing Aids And Mental Health Advantages
The connection between neglected hearing loss and mental decline is rather well demonstrated by modern medical studies. Mental illnesses such as dementia, cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression, according to current thinking, can be triggered by hearing loss as a consequence of a combination of physical, mental and social factors.
So it’s not surprising that the latest analyses has shown that hearing aids could have substantial mental health benefits.
Lowering Your Chances of Dementia
Based on one study, wearing your hearing aids can help lower your chances of developing dementia by as much as 18%. That’s a wonderful benefit when all you have to do is remember to wear your hearing aids every day.
In other research, the arrival of dementia was slowed by as much as two years by wearing hearing aids. This is really inspiring and with more research done to replicate and clarify these numbers, we can come a long way in the battle against cognitive decline and illness.
Decrease Anxiety And Depression
Many people suffer from anxiety and depression even if hearing loss is not a problem for them. But there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that people who have hearing loss are at a higher risk of developing both depression and anxiety as time passes.
When you use hearing aids, you tend to stay more mentally focused and engaged socially. If those were contributing factors to depression and anxiety, they can help.
You Won’t be as Lonely
While dementia might sound much more extreme, for people who have untreated hearing loss, loneliness can be a serious issue, caused by and exacerbating a sense of social solitude. That social separation can cause significant changes to your mood. So it can be an enormous advantage if your hearing aids can help you remain socially active.
And this is a good reason why, for instance, your hearing aid can help prevent conditions like depression. All of these health problems, to some extent, are in some manner linked.
The Physical Benefits of Hearing Aids
There is some evidence which indicates that as hearing loss symptoms become more apparent, your risk of stroke goes up. But these studies are in preliminary phases. The most obvious (and noticeable) physical advantage of hearing aids is a little more straightforward: you’ll fall less often.
There are a couple of explanations for this:
- Fall detection: In some cases, it’s not the fall that’s perilous. Instead, it’s that you can’t get back up that can be a real problem. Many new models of hearing aids have fall detection as a standard feature. With certain settings equipped, when you have a fall, a call will automatically be made to one of your pre-programmed emergency contacts so they will know to check up on you.
- Situational awareness: Hearing aids can increase your situational awareness.
As you get older falling down can have a disastrous effect on your health. So avoiding falls (or decreasing the damage from falling) can be a huge benefit that ripples throughout your overall health.
Be Certain to Wear Your Hearing Aids
These advantages, it’s worth pointing out, apply to people who have hearing impairment. If you have healthy hearing, then using a hearing aid will most likely not reduce your risk of cognitive decline, for instance.
But if you do have hearing loss, the smartest thing you can do for your ears, and for the rest of your body, is to wear your hearing aids.