Over the years, hearing aids have had a stigma. Some people simply correlate them with aging. The result?
Lots of people, both old and young, decide against hearing aids and suffer unnecessarily from hearing loss, which itself is linked to a number of health concerns. The numbers reinforce this: 30 million individuals in the US dealing with hearing loss, yet only about 15 percent of that group has ever worn a hearing aid.
In addition, the youth are suffering from hearing loss in greater numbers than ever before: a WHO report from 2015 forecasted that excessive use of headphones and overly loud concert events and festivals will cause over 1.1 billion teens and young adults to permanently injure their hearing.
Still, shifting attitudes and sophisticated technology have given hearing aids a new life, and soon they’ll be in the same category as eye-glasses – and contact lenses, for that matter.
If You Need Hearing Aids, You Should Use Them, This Is Why
There are a lots of reasons why you should use hearing aids, some of them obvious and some of them unexpected.
Some of the most common reasons are as follows:
- You won’t struggle as much in conversations
- You can enjoy social activities and settings again
- You’ll have the ability to earn more money
- You can reduce tinnitus symptoms
- You’re brain won’t need to work so hard
- One of the obvious factors would be that you will be able to hear better
- You won’t need to turn the TV or music up
Are these reasons sounding beneficial to you? Even somebody with mild hearing damage can get some benefit from wearing hearing aids.
What many people don’t know is that hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline, mental health problems, and conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Research points to a few different reasons why this may occur, including that the brain gets overtaxed and overtired because it’s always attempting to comprehend sounds. It could be that the brain cells don’t receive enough stimulation so they shrink and die, or it could be because of the number one cause of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems which is social isolation.
By allowing you to hear words and sounds near you more clearly, hearing aids can help alleviate these issues. Your brain can then process the sounds as it ordinarily would without needing to use additional resources, while you’ll gain the ability and confidence to find enjoyment in social experiences and conversations again.
Hearing Aids Have Advanced in Technology
We told you why it’s necessary for anybody with hearing loss, old or young, to wear hearing aids. Now it’s time to find out how hearing aids have progressed in the past few years.
If really think you would like one of those large over the ear hearing aids, you can still buy one. They also have advanced to the point that they can figure out where sound is originating from and can filter out sound effectively. However, there are new and improved versions of hearing aids that have sophisticated technology which makes it straight forward for them to fit in with today’s digital environment and are nearly unnoticeable.
Would you like to connect your hearing aid to your smartphone, tablet, television, or even your car’s navigation system? Most modern-day hearing aids come with Bluetooth technology so you’re in luck. There are even higher-end versions that can stream music, keep track of your physical activity, and automatically take and make phone calls for you. Hearing aids today are designed to do more – just like your smartwatch and smartphone, smart hearing aids will become a must-have accessory for anyone who has hearing loss. So now that you are ready to deal with your hearing loss and begin using a hearing aid, get in touch with us for an appointment and hearing assessment.