Everybody wants to stay young for as long as they can. From gym memberships to Botox to wrinkle cream to special diets, we spend a great number of hours each day doing what we can to slow down the aging process. Still, with all that time and effort, the one thing that might actually work, we tend to avoid: wearing ear protection.
Most people most likely consider hearing loss as inevitable as we get older. But it’s not as simple as that. By safeguarding your ears (and treating them with some kindness as you go), you can help prevent harm and keep your hearing in great shape. And excellent hearing can have considerable anti-aging effects as time goes by.
Aging And Hearing
The actual passing of time is not usually what we are referring to when we speak of aging. Rather, “aging” typically describes the presentation of certain emotional, mental, or physical attributes that we associate with getting older. A perfect example of this is pain in your joints. When your knees begin to hurt, you might associate that with “growing old”. But it’s not age by itself that causes the problem (your daily 5-mile run might have something to do with it, too).
The same is true of many types of hearing loss. As you age, damage builds up. And in most situations, it’s the accumulation of damage that causes the actual hearing degeneration. And it’s typically downhill from there. Neglected hearing loss has been related to a number of other signs of aging:
- The onset of mental problems, including dementia, can often be hastened by ignored or unnoticed hearing loss.
- Self isolation from friends and family can be the outcome of neglected hearing loss.
- In some instances, the mental burden involved in attempting to hear can lead to issues such as memory loss or insomnia. And that might make you feel like you’re aging in an especially intense way.
- Studies have shown a strong link between neglected hearing loss, depression, and anxiety.
So How do I Overcome Age-Related Hearing Loss?
You’re actually emphasizing damage prevention when you fight the “signs of aging” in your ears. And it’s fortunate that we can accomplish that using several methods. For instance, you can:
- As much as possible, avoid loud noises. If you need to expose yourself to loud noise, wear hearing protection. So when you go to that concert with your favorite musician, be certain to use earplugs.
- Become more aware. You can still have harm to your hearing even if sounds aren’t painfully loud. Moderate noise for longer periods of time can cause harm to your ears, too.
- If you happen to work in a somewhat noisy environment, wear ear protection. Current ear muffs have excellent technology that can allow you to hear voices clearly while eliminating loud, damaging environmental sounds.
Your ears can be protected by all of these steps. But in order to keep your hearing in good shape you can do one more thing: schedule an appointment with us for a hearing exam. Making certain you undergo hearing screenings with regular frequency can help you discover hearing loss before it’s even noticeable. You should still get a screening even if your hearing is normal so that you can have a standard to compare against in the future.
Keep Your Hearing Healthy With Hearing Aids
We live in a loud world. Even with your best effort to protect your hearing, you still may eventually detect some hearing loss. You should get help as soon as possible if you do notice any symptoms of hearing loss. A good pair of hearing aids can help lessen some of the so-called age-related issues related to hearing impairments.
You could perhaps think of hearing aids as a facelift for your ears: something to make your ears to work a little more youthfully. And dementia, depression, and other issues can be prevented. This example only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are necessary. Wrinkle creams could help you look younger. But if you really want to battle aging and feel a bit more youthful, your best choice is to safeguard your ears and deal with your hearing loss.