Even when it’s somewhat minor, hearing loss can have a big impact on your life. The way you interact with friends, coworkers, and family members can change dramatically. Everyday tasks like going to the grocery store can become more challenging. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be all doom and gloom. On the contrary, a well calibrated pair of hearing aids can make a huge difference.
Hearing aids improve your ability to hear, and that’s usually how most individuals think of them. And that’s true. But how is the quality of life enhanced? Just how far do the benefits of hearing aids go?
Hearing aid’s top ten benefits
We humans just love creating top ten lists. 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 been aware of your hearing loss for a while… maybe you did!
So here are the top ten advantages of wearing hearing aids.
1. Your relationships will improve
Strong communication is critical to any good relationship. But when you have neglected hearing loss, communication can be a real challenge. But when you use hearing aids, you’ll be able to hear the entire conversation without losing anything. You’ll be able to follow along with the conversation and get the whole story.
This also means you won’t feel excluded from the conversation, and you won’t feel resentful that the conversations go on without you. So you will have an improvement in your relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. There is a strong link between relationships and hearing aids!
2. You’ll be more independent
When you’re dealing with neglected hearing loss, activities like shopping or dining out can be a real ordeal. When you’re unable to hear very well, communicating with cashiers and wait staff can be challenging. But the overall process gets easier when you have hearing aids. You can navigate a lot more independently.
Driving will also be safer. That’s because your overall situational awareness will be improved by your hearing aids. When you hear more of the world, you’ll be capable of doing more on your own, and you’ll be able to do it without as much anxiety.
3. You could make more money
Think about this hypothetical scenario: if you’re attending a meeting at work and miss half of what’s said, you might not perform your job quite as well. This can lead to passed promotions or even dicey job opportunities.
With your hearing aids firmly in place and working properly, you’ll be able to keep up with meetings, and you won’t be as tired all the time from straining to hear. This can improve your focus on work and put you in a better position to increase your income.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will decrease
Tinnitus is that ringing or buzzing in the ear that most of us have experienced now and then. Tinnitus symptoms will commonly be more extreme and more often with hearing loss (tinnitus is sometimes more noticeable with hearing loss simply because everything else is quieter, but there might also be other reasons as well).
With a hearing aid, many individuals observe that they experience decreased tinnitus symptoms. In these cases, that’s because the hearing aid is overpowering the sound of the tinnitus. But we will take relief whenever we can, right?
5. Less chance of developing dementia
Hearing impairment and cognitive issues are firmly linked. For instance, neglected hearing loss can significantly raise your chance of developing dementia. There are numerous hypotheses about why this might be, but the end result is that managing your hearing loss appears to help! That’s why it’s important to be certain you wear your hearing aids. You may be giving your brain a greater chance of remaining healthy longer.
6. You can appreciate music again
It’s difficult to enjoy music, in its full entirety, when you have hearing impairment. That’s because hearing loss tends to impact one frequency of sound first, then another. Maybe you’re unable to hear low frequencies, for instance. Because of this, the song you once enjoyed may just sound… weird.
With your hearing aids, however, those missing holes in the music will be filled in, and you can enjoy music again! You’ll hear all of the wavelengths and your music won’t sound so muffled. Hearing your favorite tune again can be incredibly enjoyable.
7. Your confidence will improve
Your confidence will be enhanced when you can hear better and have more successful interactions. And confidence is a wonderful thing.
This isn’t to say that hearing impairment should take away your confidence. We’re simply saying that you may find yourself having a hard time interacting with others, particularly if your hearing loss is new.
Those connections can become easier again with hearing aids. And that can lead to improved confidence.
8. Your vitality will be higher
Your brain is probably working overtime 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 functioning. That’s hard work. And so, your brain is under continual strain.
When you invest in a hearing aid, you’re giving your brain the opportunity to relax and recharge. It will have less work to accomplish. With this, persistent exhaustion and fatigue will be reduced. You’ll enjoy doing the things that are exciting for you with this increased energy.
9. Being more mindful of your surroundings will keep you safer
You may not have adapted to your hearing loss, especially if it’s recent. Normally, you would hear approaching traffic before you step out into the street. Before you look up into your rearview mirror, you would ordinarily hear the oncoming sirens.
If your hearing loss is new, or you aren’t conscious of it, you may presume that some situations are safe when they actually aren’t. And that can be a dangerous proposition.
This lost awareness will be recovered by using hearing aids. Your decision making will be wiser and less hazardous.
10. You will set a good example!
Change can be hard, and personal growth still harder. When you invest in a hearing aid, you’re admitting that something isn’t necessarily working properly anymore. But you’re also trying to improve the situation.
That’s a positive thing! We should all strive for this type of thing, right? So when you put in your hearing aids, you’re setting yourself up as a positive example and role model. You should be proud of yourself.
Get your hearing checked as soon as you can
When you wear hearing aids you will hear better and that’s the biggest benefit. That one’s obvious. But there are lots of benefits to using hearing aids. This top ten list is in no way complete.
Your top ten list might look a little different. Making an appointment with us for a hearing test is the first step no matter what benefits you look forward to.