About 28 million people could benefit from using hearing aids. Of course, when we talk about data like that, we generally mean that those 28 million individuals would hear the world a little better if they had some help (like hearing aids). But there are also a number of other, relatively surprising health advantages that you can start to enjoy thanks to your hearing aids.
Your physical and mental health can, as it turns out, be helped by something as easy as wearing hearing aids. These tiny devices can help stop (or forestall) everything from injury from a fall to depression. In more ways than one, your hearing aids can help you stay on your feet.
Hearing Aids And Mental Health Benefits
Modern medical studies have solidly demonstrated a link between cognitive decline and hearing loss. Currently, the thinking is that, for a mixture of mental, social, and physical factors, hearing loss can bring about an increased danger of mental illness, such as anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, and dementia.
So it’s no surprise that the latest analyses has shown that hearing aids may have substantial mental health benefits.
Reducing Your Chances of Dementia
As reported by one study, wearing your hearing aids can help reduce your risk of developing dementia by as much as 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 indicated that wearing your hearing aids regularly can slow the onset of dementia by up to a couple of years. This is very encouraging and with more research conducted to replicate and clarify these figures, we can come a long way in the fight against cognitive decline and illness.
Decrease Anxiety And Depression
Anxiety and depression aren’t symptoms that are unique to people who have hearing loss. But there’s enough evidence to indicate that those with hearing loss are at a higher risk of developing both depression and anxiety as time passes.
Wearing your hearing aids can help you stay socially active and mentally connected. Hearing aids can be particularly helpful if those factors are contributing to depression and anxiety.
You’ll Feel Less Lonely
While it might not sound as serious or imperative as dementia, isolation can be a serious issue for individuals with untreated hearing loss, caused by and exacerbating a sense of social isolation. That social separation can cause considerable changes to your disposition. So being able to stay social and engaged thanks to your hearing aid can be a big advantage.
To be certain, this ties together with your hearing aids’ ability to reduce the risks of depression, for example. To a certain degree, all of these health concerns are linked in some manner.
The Physical Benefits of Hearing Aids
As your hearing impairment worsens, there is some research that shows that you could be at a higher risk of stroke. But these studies are in preliminary stages. It’s a little easier to recognize the more obvious physical advantage of hearing aids: you’ll fall less frequently.
There are a couple of explanations for this:
- Fall detection: Sometimes, it’s not the fall that’s perilous. Rather, it’s that you can’t get back up that produces possible danger. Fall detection is a standard feature of many newer hearing aid designs. With certain settings equipped, when you take a tumble, a call will automatically be made to one of your pre-programmed emergency contacts so they will know to check up on you.
- Situational awareness: Hearing aids can improve your situational awareness. For instance, if your pet is running up to you, you will hear them and expect them to come rushing around the corner.
As you get older falling down can have a disastrous effect on your health. So your overall health can be safeguarded by reducing damage from falls or preventing them entirely.
Make Certain You Wear Your Hearing Aids
It’s worth keeping in mind that all of these benefits apply to people who have hearing ailments. Hearing aids won’t, for instance, help someone with healthy hearing avoid a fall.
But wearing your hearing aids, if you do have hearing loss, is the best thing you can do for general health.