Even when it’s fairly mild, hearing loss can have a major impact on your life. There will be a dramatic change in the way you connect with loved ones, friends, and coworkers. It can become a challenge to perform daily activities such as going shopping. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be all doom and gloom. Quite the opposite, a well adjusted set of hearing aids can make a huge difference.
Hearing aids improve your ability to hear, and that’s typically how most people think of them. And that’s not untrue. But how is the quality of life improved? Just how far do the advantages of hearing aids go?
The top ten reasons to invest in hearing aids
It’s kind of amazing, isn’t it, how humans 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 got up this morning. I mean, if you’ve known about your hearing loss for a while… perhaps you did!
So, what are the top ten advantages associated with wearing your hearing aid? Here they are!
1. You will have better relationships.
For any relationship to be great, good communication is crucial. But communication can be challenging when you have neglected hearing loss. But when you wear hearing aids, you’ll be capable of hearing the whole conversation without losing anything. You’ll be able to follow along with the conversation and get the entire story.
You won’t be resentful and feel left out of conversations. So your general relationships, among your friends, co-workers, and loved ones, will improve. The link between hearing aids and relationships is a powerful one!
2. You’ll have more independence
Shopping at the grocery store or going to a restaurant when you have untreated hearing loss can be an ordeal. Attempting to communicate with wait staff and cashiers can be tricky when you can’t hear very well. But with a pair of hearing aids, the whole process suddenly becomes a lot easier. You can get around much more independently.
You’ll also be better able to drive safely. That’s because your general situational awareness will be enhanced by your hearing aids. When you hear more of the world, you’ll be capable of doing more by yourself, and you’ll be able to do it without as much anxiety.
3. You might make more money
Consider this hypothetical situation: if you’re attending a meeting at work and miss a lot of what’s said, you may not do your job adequately. This can lead to decreased job opportunities and being passed-up for promotions.
With your hearing aids securely 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. This can boost your focus on work and put you in a better position to grow your income.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will lessen
Tinnitus is one of those things that the majority of people have experienced now and again; it’s that ringing or buzzing in your ear. Tinnitus symptoms will frequently be more extreme and frequent with hearing loss (there are a host of explanations for this, sometimes the tinnitus is just relatively louder because everything else is so quiet, for instance).
Many individuals report that their tinnitus symptoms ease up when they use a hearing aid. The louder overall external sound provided by the hearing aid might be, in some cases, just drowning out the tinnitus symptoms. But we will take relief whenever we can, right?
5. Decreased chance of cognitive decline
There is a firm link between mental decline and hearing loss. Your chance of developing dementia can be seriously elevated by disregarding hearing loss, for example. There are lots of hypotheses about why this might be, but the end result is that managing your hearing loss seems to be helpful! That’s why it isn’t a good idea to forget to wear your hearing aid. You may be giving your brain a greater chance of remaining healthy longer.
6. Music can once again be appreciated
It’s tough to appreciate music, in its full entirety, when you suffer from hearing loss. That’s because one frequency of sound typically goes before the others. Maybe you can’t hear low frequencies, for example. Because of this, the song you used to enjoy might just sound… strange.
You will be able to enjoy music again with your hearing aids filling in the missing sound. You’ll hear all of the wavelengths and your music won’t sound so muffled. Hearing your favorite song again can be extremely enjoyable.
7. Your confidence will grow
Your confidence will be boosted when you can hear better and have more effective interactions. And who doesn’t want confidence?
This isn’t to say that hearing impairment should take away your confidence. It’s just that, particularly if that hearing loss is recent, you could suddenly find it a challenge to interact with others in the same ways you usually do.
Those connections can become easier again with hearing aids. And when that happens, confidence will improve.
8. Your vitality will be higher
Your brain is probably working extra hard if your hearing loss is slowly progressing. The audio holes that your hearing loss is creating will try to be filled in by your brain because it doesn’t recognize that your ears aren’t working. That’s… a lot of work! And so, your brain is under constant strain.
When you invest in a hearing aid, you’re giving your brain a chance to slow down and recharge. It will have less work to accomplish. With this, constant tiredness and weariness will be reduced. You’ll enjoy doing the things that are stimulating for you with this enhanced energy.
9. Being more conscious of your surroundings will keep you safer
If your hearing loss is new, you might not yet have fully adapted. You’re used to being able to hear oncoming traffic before you step out into the road. You’re accustomed to hearing the emergency siren before you check the rearview mirror.
If your hearing loss is new, or you aren’t conscious of it, you may assume that some situations are safe when they actually aren’t. That can put you in some very unsafe situations.
Hearing aids will help reestablish that lost awareness. So you’ll be capable of making smarter, less dangerous choices.
10. You will set a good example!
Change can be tough, and personal growth harder still. When you get a hearing aid, you’re admitting that something isn’t actually working right anymore. But you’re also trying to improve the situation.
That’s a good thing! We should all strive for this type of thing, right? So when you put in your hearing aids, you’re making yourself a positive example and role model. You should be proud of yourself.
Get your hearing checked today
The main advantage of hearing aids is that you get to enjoy hearing better. That one’s obvious. But as you know, there are lots of immediate advantages of hearing aids! This top ten list is just that, one little list of only ten of these benefits.
Your top ten list may look a little different. Making an appointment with us for a hearing test is the first step no matter what advantages you look forward to.