Something like 28 million individuals could benefit from using hearing aids. Which means that 28 million people would here their environment better if they had hearing aids. But there are also a number of other, rather unexpected health benefits that you can begin to enjoy thanks to your hearing aids.
Your mental and physical health can, as it so happens, be helped by something as simple as wearing hearing aids. These tiny gadgets can help counter (or delay) everything from injury from a fall to depression. Your hearing aids can literally keep you on your feet.
Mental Health Advantages of Hearing Aids
Modern medical studies have solidly demonstrated a connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The current thinking is that, for a mixture of mental, social, and physical reasons, hearing loss can bring about an increased risk of mental illness, like cognitive decline, anxiety, depression, and dementia.
So it’s not surprising that the latest analyses has suggested that hearing aids might have substantial mental health benefits.
Dementia Risks Reduced
As reported by one study, wearing your hearing aids can help reduce your chances of developing dementia by up to 18%. And all you need to do to take advantage of this awesome benefit is remember to wear your hearing every day.
Other studies have suggested that wearing your hearing aids on a regular basis can forestall the onset of dementia by as many as a couple of years. This is really inspiring and with more research conducted to duplicate and clarify these numbers, we can come a long way in the battle against mental decline and illness.
Reduce Anxiety And Depression
Countless individuals suffer from depression and anxiety even if hearing loss is not a problem for them. But people who suffer from hearing loss have been shown to be at a higher risk of anxiety and depression over time.
When you wear hearing aids, you are likely to stay more tuned in mentally and socially engaged. Hearing aids can be especially helpful if those factors are contributing to depression and anxiety.
You’ll be Less Lonely
While dementia may sound much more severe, isolation can be a serious issue for individuals with neglected hearing loss, social isolation often being the cause and adding fuel to the fire. That social isolation can cause considerable changes to your disposition. So it can be a tremendous benefit if your hearing aids can help you continue to be socially involved.
To be sure, this ties together with your hearing aids’ ability to reduce the risks of depression, for instance. All of these health concerns, to some extent, are in some way linked.
The Physical Benefits of Hearing Aids
As your hearing impairment gets worse, there is some evidence that you may be at a higher risk of stroke. But this research is in preliminary phases. The most pronounced (and noticeable) physical benefit of hearing aids is a little simpler: you won’t fall as often.
This happens for two reasons:
- Fall detection: Sometimes, it’s not the fall that’s dangerous. Rather, it’s your inability to get back up that can be a real problem. Many new designs of hearing aids have fall detection built in. You can program emergency phone numbers into your phone which will be automatically called if you take a tumble.
- Situational awareness: Hearing aids can enhance your situational awareness. If your pet, as an example, is zooming out to say hi, you will hear them coming and will be ready for them to be running under your feet.
Falling can have pretty significant health effects, especially as you age. So your general health can be safeguarded by decreasing damage from falls or preventing them entirely.
Wear Your Hearing Aids Everyday
It’s worth noting that all of these benefits apply to individuals who suffer from hearing ailments. Hearing aids won’t, for instance, help somebody with healthy hearing avoid a fall.
But wearing your hearing aids, if you do have hearing loss, is the smartest thing you can do for overall health.
