Hearing loss can seriously effect the way you live, even when it’s mild. The way you communicate with friends, coworkers, and loved ones can change drastically. It can become a challenge to accomplish day-to-day activities like going shopping. But it doesn’t have to have this type of negative affect on you. If you use a well adjusted hearing aid, it 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 not untrue. But how is the quality of life improved? Just how far do the benefits of hearing aids go?
Hearing aid’s top ten benefits
We humans just love creating top ten lists. When you woke up today, did you think you’d be reading a top ten list about hearing aids? I mean, if you’ve been aware of your hearing loss for a while… perhaps you did!
So here are the top ten benefits of wearing hearing aids.
1. You will have better relationships.
Strong communication is crucial to any good relationship. But when you have untreated hearing loss, communication can be challenging. With hearing aids, you’ll finally hear more than little bits of conversation. You’ll hear everything, you’ll get the full story, and you’ll be capable of keeping up with the conversation.
You won’t be resentful and feel left out of conversations. So your general relationships, amongst your friends, co-workers, and loved ones, will improve. There is a strong connection between relationships and hearing aids!
2. You’ll be more independent
When you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss, tasks like shopping or eating out can be a real ordeal. When you can’t hear very well, communicating with wait staff or cashiers can be difficult. But the whole process gets easier when you use hearing aids. You’ll have a lot more independence when you navigate the world around you.
You’ll also be better able to drive safely. That’s because your general situational awareness will be enhanced by your hearing aids. You will be less anxious about doing things on your own when you’re able to hear the world more clearly.
3. Stronger hearing may lead to higher pay
Let’s toss out a hypothetical: if you’re attending a meeting at work and miss half of what’s discussed, you may not execute your job adequately. This can lead to lost promotions or even dicey job prospects.
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 much easier. By doing this you can have a chance to boost your income by increasing your ability to focus on work.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will decrease
Tinnitus is that ringing or buzzing in the ear that the majority of us have experienced occasionally. When you suffer from hearing loss, tinnitus can usually be felt much more intensely (there are a number of explanations for this, sometimes the tinnitus is just relatively louder because everything else is so quiet, for example).
With a hearing aid, many individuals note that they experience diminished tinnitus symptoms. The louder overall external sound provided by the hearing aid may be, in some cases, simply drowning out the tinnitus symptoms. But relief is relief.
5. Decreased chance of cognitive decline
Hearing loss and cognitive issues are firmly connected. For example, neglected hearing loss can significantly increase your chance of developing dementia. There are numerous theories about why this might be, but the bottom line is that treating your hearing loss seems to help! That’s why it isn’t a good idea to forget to wear your hearing aid. You may be giving your brain a greater chance of remaining healthy longer.
6. Music can once again be appreciated
It’s hard to enjoy music, in its full entirety, when you suffer from hearing impairment. That’s because hearing loss is likely to effect one wavelength of sound first, then another. For instance, you may be unable to pick up low frequencies. The music you used to like, as a result, may sound… different.
You will be able to appreciate music again with your hearing aids replacing missing sound. You’ll hear all of the frequencies and your music won’t sound so garbled. It can be a great relief to hear your favorite band again.
7. You’ll get a boost of confidence
Having better hearing and interacting more completely will boost your confidence. And who doesn’t like confidence?
We’re not implying that you shouldn’t have confidence just because you deal with hearing loss. It’s just that, particularly if that hearing loss is new, you could suddenly find it a challenge to interact with people in the same ways you always have.
Those connections can become easier again when you use hearing aids. And when that takes place, confidence will grow.
8. You’ll have more energy
If your hearing loss has been slowly progressing, your brain has likely been working overtime. The audio holes that your hearing loss is creating will try to be filled in by your brain because it doesn’t recognize that your ears aren’t working. That’s hard work. And it means that your brain is working (and strained) almost continuously.
Your brain gets to recharge and unwind when you wear a hearing aid. It will have less work to do. Which means you won’t feel so continually exhausted and depleted. You’ll enjoy doing the things that are exciting for you with this increased energy.
9. You’ll be safer and more aware of your surroundings
If your hearing loss is new, you might not yet have completely adapted. You’re used to hearing traffic before you step out into the road. You’re accustomed to hearing the emergency siren before you check the rearview mirror.
If your hearing loss is new, or you aren’t conscious of it, you may assume that some situations are safe when they actually aren’t. And that can be a hazardous proposition.
This lost awareness will be restored by using hearing aids. So you’ll be able to make wiser, safer decisions.
10. You’ll be a positive example!
The one thing that can be even more difficult than change is personal growth. You’re acknowledging that things aren’t functioning properly now when you get a hearing aid. But you’re also trying to improve the situation.
That’s a good thing! We should all strive for this type of thing, right? So when you pop in your hearing aids, you’re setting yourself up as a positive example and role model. (It’s fine, you can blush a bit, you deserve it.)
Schedule an appointment for a hearing test right away
When you wear hearing aids you will hear better and that’s the principal advantage. That one’s obvious. But there are plenty of advantages to using hearing aids. This top ten list is only that, one little list of just ten of these advantages.
Your top ten list might look a little different. Scheduling an appointment with us for a hearing test is the first step no matter what benefits you look forward to.