Hearing loss can seriously impact how 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 daily tasks such as going shopping. But it doesn’t need to have this kind of negative impact on you. If you utilize a well calibrated hearing aid, it can make a big difference.
Most people normally think of those benefits in a really linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s true. But how is the quality of life improved? Just how far do the benefits of hearing aids go?
The top ten reasons to invest in hearing aids
It’s kind of fascinating, isn’t it, how we can so often produce top ten lists for anything? 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 here are the top ten benefits of wearing hearing aids.
1. Your relationships will improve
Great communication is crucial to any great relationship. But when you have untreated hearing loss, communication can be a real challenge. But when you use hearing aids, you’ll be capable of hearing the entire conversation without losing anything. You’ll hear everything, you’ll get the whole story, and you’ll be capable of keeping up with the conversation.
This also means you won’t feel excluded from the conversation, and you won’t feel resentful that the conversations carry on without you. 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
Shopping at the supermarket or going to a restaurant when you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss can be an ordeal. When you can’t hear very well, communicating with cashiers and wait staff can be difficult. But the whole process gets easier when you have hearing aids. You can navigate a lot more independently.
You’ll also be better able to drive safely. That’s because your overall situational awareness will be increased by your hearing aids. You won’t be as anxious about doing things on your own when you’re able to 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 a lot of what’s said, you might not perform your job adequately. This can lead to passed promotions or even dicey job prospects.
With your hearing aids firmly in place and working correctly, you’ll be able to follow along with meetings, and you won’t be so tired all the time from struggling to hear. 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 most of us have experienced now and then. When you have hearing loss, tinnitus can often be felt much more powerfully (there are a host 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 wear a hearing aid. The louder overall external sound supplied by the hearing aid could be, in some situations, just drowning out the tinnitus symptoms. But we will take relief where we can get it, right?
5. Decreased chance of cognitive decline
Hearing loss and cognitive issues are firmly linked. For example, neglected hearing loss can seriously elevate your risk of developing dementia. There are numerous theories about why this may be, but the bottom line is that managing your hearing loss seems to be helpful! That’s why it isn’t a good idea to forget to put in your hearing aid. You could be helping the health of your brain!
6. Music can once again be appreciated
It’s hard to enjoy music, in its full entirety, when you suffer from hearing loss. That’s because hearing loss is likely to impact one frequency of sound first, then another. Maybe you’re unable to hear low frequencies, for example. Because of this, the song you used to enjoy might just sound… weird.
With your hearing aids, though, those missing gaps in the music will be filled in, and you can appreciate music again! You’ll get the high notes and the low notes, instead of just one or the other (or a muffled mess). Hearing your favorite tune again can be extremely enjoyable.
7. Your confidence will grow
Having better hearing and interacting more completely will give you a boost of confidence. And who doesn’t want confidence?
This isn’t to say that hearing impairment should rob you of your confidence. It’s just that, particularly if that hearing loss is recent, you may suddenly find it a challenge to interact with people in the same ways you usually do.
Those connections can become easier again with hearing aids. And that can lead to improved confidence.
8. You’ll have more energy
Your brain is probably working overtime if your hearing loss is gradually advancing. That’s because your brain doesn’t know your ears aren’t working right, so it’s continuously attempting to fill in the audio gaps that your hearing impairment has produced. That’s… a lot of work! And so, your brain is under persistent strain.
Your brain gets to recharge and relax when you wear a hearing aid. It will have less work to accomplish. With this, continual tiredness and fatigue will be decreased. You’ll enjoy doing the things that are inspiring for you with this increased energy.
9. You’ll be safer and more perceptive of your surroundings
If your hearing loss is recent, you might not yet have entirely adapted. Normally, you would hear approaching traffic before you step out into the road. Before you look up into your rearview mirror, you would ordinarily hear the oncoming sirens.
You might assume certain situations are safe when, because you’re not aware of your hearing loss, or you’ve disregarded it, they really aren’t. And that can be a dangerous proposition.
Hearing aids will help restore that lost awareness. So you’ll be capable of making smarter, safer decisions.
10. You will set a good example!
The one thing that can be even harder than change is personal growth. When you get a hearing aid, you’re accepting that something isn’t actually working right anymore. But you’re bettering yourself too.
That’s a positive thing! We should all strive for this type of thing, right? So you’re acting as a role model and a positive example when you use your hearing aids. You should be proud of yourself.
Get your hearing tested as soon as you can
The main benefit of hearing aids is that you get to enjoy hearing better. That goes without saying. But there are lots of advantages to using hearing aids. This top ten list is in no way complete.
You may have an entirely different top ten list. Scheduling an appointment with us for a hearing exam is the first step no matter what advantages you look forward to.
