In the past, hearing aids have carried a stigma. If you use one, people may think of you as old. What is the consequence?
Many people, both old and young, go without hearing aids and suffer unnecessarily from hearing loss, which itself is linked to numerous health concerns. The numbers reinforce this: 30 million people in the US dealing with hearing loss, yet only about 15 percent of that group has ever used a hearing aid.
In addition, younger people are suffering from hearing loss in larger numbers than ever before: a WHO report from 2015 forecasted that 1.1 billion teens and young adults would damage their hearing irreparably due to excessive use of headphones and louder and louder music festivals.
However, progressing technology and changing perceptions have started to frame hearing aids in a new light, and people are beginning to look at them in a similar way they look at eye-glasses.
Why You Should Wear Hearing Aids
There are a ton of reasons why you should wear hearing aids, some of them are surprising and some are obvious.
Some of the most common reasons are as follows:
- You’re brain won’t have to work as hard
- You’ll raise your earning power
- You won’t have as hard a time having conversations
- You can reduce tinnitus symptoms
- You’re able to hear better (As we said, there were some obvious ones on the list)
- You won’t need to crank the music or TV up
- Social activities will be more enjoyable
Are these reasons sounding beneficial to you? Some benefit can be gained by wearing hearing aids even for individuals with minor hearing loss.
What many people don’t know is that hearing loss is connected to mental decline, mental health issues, and conditions like Alzheimers disease and dementia.
This may happen for a few different reasons based on recent studies, this includes the overworking of the brain as it struggles to comprehend sounds that it hears. It could be that the brain cells don’t get enough activation so they shrink and die, or it could be associated with social isolation, which is a major cause of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
By letting you hear words and sounds near you more clearly, hearing aids can help alleviate these issues. Your brain can then process the sounds as it typically would without needing to use extra resources, while you’ll gain the ability and confidence to find enjoyment in social experiences and conversations again.
Technological Developments in Hearing Aids
We told you why it’s important for anybody with hearing loss, young or old, to wear hearing aids. Now we’re going to talk about the how; for example, how hearing aid technology has advanced to the point where they’re no longer your grandparents’ hearing aids.
The cumbersome, over-the-ear hearing aids are still available for the people who like them. They also have advanced to the point that they can figure out where sound is coming from and can filter out sound adequately. However, there are more modern versions of hearing aids that have advanced technology which makes it straight forward for them to fit in with today’s digital world and are almost invisible.
Would you like to sync your hearing aid to your cellphone, tablet, tv, or even your car’s GPS? Then you’re in luck since the majority of modern hearing aids feature Bluetooth technology that enables them to connect with many different devices. There are even higher-end models keep track of your physical health, stream music, and take calls for you. Hearing aids today are designed to do more – just like your smartphone and smartwatch, smart hearing aids will become a must-have accessory for anybody suffering from hearing impairment. Are you ready to tackle hearing loss and get yourself a hearing aid? Consult with us to find out what kind of hearing aid will work best for you.