Hearing loss can really effect how you live, even when it’s minor. There will be a dramatic change in the way you connect with family, friends, and coworkers. It can become a challenge to accomplish daily activities such as going shopping. But it doesn’t have to have this type of negative impact on you. On the contrary, a well calibrated set of hearing aids can make a big difference.
Most people tend to think of those benefits in a really linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s true. But how do hearing aids improve quality of life? Just how far do the benefits of hearing aids go?
Hearing aid’s top ten benefits
We humans just love making top ten lists. I bet you didn’t think you would be reading a top ten list about hearing aids when you woke up this morning. Well, perhaps you did if you’ve been dealing with your hearing loss for a while.
So, what are the top ten benefits linked to using your hearing aid? Here they are!
1. You will have improved relationships.
For any relationship to be strong, good communication is indispensable. But when you have untreated hearing loss, communication can be challenging. But when you wear hearing aids, you’ll be capable of hearing the entire conversation without missing anything. You’ll be able to follow along with the conversation and get the whole story.
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 link between relationships and hearing aids!
2. You’ll have more independence
Shopping at the grocery store or going to a restaurant when you have untreated hearing loss can feel like an ordeal. Trying to communicate with wait staff and cashiers can be tricky when you can’t hear that well. But with a pair of hearing aids, the whole process suddenly becomes a lot easier. You’ll have a lot more independence when you move around the world around you.
You’ll also be in a better position to drive safely. That’s because your hearing aids will enhance your overall situational awareness (more on that in a bit). You won’t be as anxious about doing things on your own when you can hear the world more clearly.
3. You could make more money
Let’s throw out a hypothetical: if you’re in a meeting at work and miss half of what’s said, you might not do your job adequately. This can result in reduced job prospects and being passed-up for promotions.
With your hearing aids firmly in place and working properly, you’ll be able to follow along with meetings, and you won’t be as tired all the time from struggling to hear. This can improve your focus on work and put you in a better position to increase your income.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will decrease
Tinnitus is that buzzing or ringing in the ear that most of us have experienced now and then. When you suffer from hearing loss, tinnitus can frequently be experienced much more powerfully (there are a number of explanations for this, sometimes the tinnitus is only relatively noisier because everything else is so quiet, for example).
Many people report that their tinnitus symptoms decrease when they use a hearing aid. The louder overall outside sound supplied by the hearing aid may be, in some situations, simply drowning out the tinnitus symptoms. But relief is relief.
5. Less chance of developing dementia
There is a firm link between cognitive decline and hearing impairment. Your chance of developing cognitive decline can be significantly increased by neglecting hearing loss, for example. Managing hearing loss appears to be helpful, even though there are many theories as to why. That’s why it’s important to be certain you wear your hearing aids. You may be giving your brain a greater chance of staying healthy longer.
6. You can appreciate music again
It’s tough to appreciate music, in its whole entirety, when you suffer from hearing impairment. That’s because hearing loss tends to effect one wavelength of sound first, then another. Maybe you can’t hear low frequencies, for instance. The music you used to like, as a result, may sound… different.
You will be able to enjoy music again with your hearing aids replacing missing sound. You’ll get the high notes and the low notes, instead of only one or the other (or a garbled mess). Hearing your favorite song again can be incredibly enjoyable.
7. Your confidence will grow
Your confidence will be enhanced when you can hear better and have more effective interactions. And who doesn’t like confidence?
This isn’t to say that hearing impairment should take away your confidence. We’re just saying that you may find yourself having a hard time interacting with others, especially if your hearing loss is new.
A hearing aid can make those connections easier again. And that can result in a boost in confidence.
8. Your energy will be increased
Your brain is most likely working extra hard if your hearing loss is gradually advancing. The audio gaps that your hearing loss is creating will try to be filled in by your brain because it doesn’t know that your ears aren’t functioning. That’s… a lot of work! And it means that your brain is working (and strained) almost constantly.
When you get a hearing aid, you’re giving your brain a chance to slow down and recharge. It will have less work to accomplish. Which means you won’t feel so continuously tired and depleted. You’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy doing!
9. Being more aware of your surroundings will keep you safer
If your hearing loss is recent, you might not yet have fully adjusted. Ordinarily, you would hear oncoming traffic before you step out into the street. You’re accustomed to hearing the emergency siren before you look in the rearview mirror.
If your hearing loss is new, or you aren’t aware of it, you might assume that some situations are safe when they actually aren’t. That can put you in some really dangerous situations.
Hearing aids will help regain that lost awareness. Your decision making will be smarter and safer.
10. You will set a good example!
Change can be hard, and personal growth still harder. When you invest in a hearing aid, you’re acknowledging that something isn’t necessarily working right anymore. But you’re improving yourself as well.
There’s nothing wrong with that! We should all strive for this type of thing, right? So you’re becoming a role model and a positive example when you wear your hearing aids. (It’s fine, you can blush a bit, you deserve it.)
Have your hearing tested as soon as you can
The main benefit of hearing aids is that you get to enjoy hearing better. That one’s obvious. But there are lots of benefits 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. No matter what advantages you look forward to the most, the first step is making an appointment with us to have your hearing checked.
