Everyone wants to stay young for as long as they can. From wrinkle creams to Botox to special diets to spin class, we spend countless hours every day doing what we can to slow the steady march of aging. And yet, even with all that energy (and all that time), we have a tendency to avoid doing one simple thing that might really work: wearing ear protection.
The majority of people probably think of hearing loss as inevitable as we get older. But it’s not that easy. By safeguarding your ears (and treating them with a bit of kindness on the way), you can help prevent harm and keep your hearing in great shape. And great hearing can have considerable anti-aging benefits as time goes by.
Hearing And Aging
When we discuss “aging” we don’t normally mean the actual passage of time. Instead, specific mental. emotional, or physical changes are indications that someone is getting older. A perfect example of this is joint pain. When your knees begin to hurt, you might associate that with “getting old”. But lifestyle has as much to do with this as does age.
Many types of hearing loss are in this category. As you get older, damage accumulates. The build-up of damage, in most instances, is the actual cause of hearing degeneration. And it’s typically downhill from there. A number of other indications of aging have been associated with hearing loss:
- The onset of mental issues, including dementia, can often be hastened by ignored or unnoticed hearing loss.
- Self isolation from family and friends can be the result of untreated hearing loss.
- Depression and anxiety have been shown to have a strong connection to hearing loss.
- Occasionally, problems such as insomnia and memory loss, can be triggered by the cognitive strain of attempting to hear. And, in an especially profound way, that can make you feel like you are aging.
What to do About Age Related Hearing Loss
When you combat the “signs of aging” in your ears, you’re actually placing an emphasis on controlling damage. And thankfully, there are a number of ways to accomplish that. For instance, you can:
- Try to avoid loud noises as much as possible. If you have to expose yourself to loud noise, wear hearing protection. So make sure you wear earplugs when you go see your favorite band.
- Become more aware. It’s not just the painfully loud sounds that can cause damage. Moderate sound for extended durations can cause injury to your ears, too.
- If you happen to work in a somewhat noisy environment, wear hearing protection. With modern high quality ear muffs, loud sounds are filtered out while you can still hear people talking clearly.
Your ears can be safeguarded by all of these steps. But there’s one more thing you can do to keep your ears in good condition: come see us for a hearing exam. Making certain you undergo hearing screenings regularly can help you catch hearing loss before it’s even recognizable. You should still get a screening even if your hearing is fine so that you can have a baseline to compare against in the future.
Keep Your Ears Healthy With Hearing Aids
The world we live in can be boisterous. Even with your best effort to take care of your hearing, you still might ultimately detect some hearing loss. If that’s the situation, it’s vital that you seek help as quickly as you can. A good pair of hearing aids can help prevent some of the so-called age-related concerns related to hearing impairments.
Hearing aids can help your ears function more youthfully, kind of like a facelift for your ears. And that can help keep depression, dementia, and other issues at bay. This analogy only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are essential. Wrinkle creams may help you look younger. But your best choice, if want to feel younger, is to take care of your hearing loss and protect your hearing.