Seems as if we’re always trying to stay young. We spend countless hours undertaking everything possible to stay young. From specialized diets to gym memberships to Botox to wrinkle creams. And yet, even with all that effort (and all those hours), we commonly neglect doing one simple thing that could really work: safeguarding our ears.
Hearing loss is often one of those “signs of aging” that we often think of as inevitable. But it’s not that easy. You can keep your hearing in good shape and help prevent damage by safeguarding and caring for your ears. And as time goes by, great hearing can have significant anti-aging rewards.
Hearing And Aging
When we discuss “aging” we don’t usually mean the actual passing of time. Instead, “aging” typically describes the appearance of certain physical, mental, or emotional characteristics that we link to getting older. Joint pain is a great example of this. You might relate sore knees, for instance, with “getting old”. But lifestyle has as much to do with this as does age.
Many types of hearing loss fall into this category. As you age, damage accumulates. And in most cases, it’s the build-up of damage that leads to the actual hearing degeneration. And that’s when the problems can begin to snowball. Neglected hearing loss has been linked to a number of other indications of aging:
- Research has shown a robust link between neglected hearing loss, anxiety, and depression.
- In some cases, the mental strain associated with attempting to hear can result in issues such as loss of memory or insomnia. And that can make you feel like you’re aging in a particularly intense way.
- When hearing impairments are undetected and untreated they can sometimes accelerate the onset of other mental health problems, including dementia.
- Untreated hearing loss may cause you to isolate yourself from family or friends.
What to do About Age Related Hearing Loss
You’re actually emphasizing damage prevention when you combat the “signs of aging” in your ears. And it’s fortunate that we can achieve that in a number of ways. Here are some things you can do:
- As much as possible, avoid loud noises. If you have to expose yourself to loud noise, wear hearing protection. So when you go see that concert with your favorite band, be certain to use earplugs.
- Boost your awareness. It isn’t only the painfully loud noises that can cause harm. Moderate sound for longer durations can cause injury to your ears, too.
- If you happen to work in a rather noisy setting, wear ear protection. Current ear muffs have incredible technology that can let you hear voices with clarity while filtering out loud, damaging environmental sounds.
Your ears can be protected by all of these actions. But in order to keep your hearing in good shape you can do one more thing: schedule an appointment with us for a hearing test. Making sure you undergo hearing screenings with regular frequency can help you discover hearing loss before it’s even perceptible. You should still have an exam even if your hearing is normal so that you can have a standard to compare against in the future.
Wear Hearing Aids to Keep Your Ears Healthy
The world we live in can be boisterous. Your ability to avoid damage is essential, but you might ultimately notice some hearing loss in spite of your best efforts. You should get help right away if you do notice any symptoms of hearing loss. A good set of hearing aids can help counter some of the so-called age-related issues related to hearing impairments.
Hearing aids can assist your hearing to function more youthfully, sort 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 necessary. Wrinkle creams might help you look younger. But if you actually want to battle aging and feel a bit more youthful, your best choice is to protect your hearing and deal with your hearing loss.
