Hearing loss can seriously impact how you live, even when it’s minor. There will be a considerable change in the way you interact with loved ones, friends, and coworkers. Daily activities like going to the supermarket can become more difficult. But that doesn’t mean it has to be all doom and gloom. If you use a well adjusted hearing aid, it can make a big difference.
Hearing aids help you hear better, and that’s normally how most individuals think of them. And that’s true. But how do hearing aids improve quality of life? Just how far do the benefits of hearing aids go?
Hearing aid’s top ten advantages
It’s sort of extraordinary, isn’t it, how people can so often come up with top ten lists for everything? When you got up today, did you think you’d be reading a top ten list about hearing aids? Well, maybe you did if you’ve been coping with your hearing loss for a while.
So, what are the top ten advantages linked to using your hearing aid? Here they are!
1. Your relationships will improve
For any relationship to be strong, good communication is indispensable. But when you have neglected hearing loss, communication can be a real challenge. But when you use hearing aids, you’ll be capable of hearing the entire conversation without losing anything. You’ll be able to keep up 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 continue without you. So your general relationships, among your friends, co-workers, and loved ones, will improve. The connection between hearing aids and relationships is a strong one!
2. You’ll be more independent
Shopping at the supermarket or going to a restaurant when you’re dealing with untreated hearing loss can feel like an ordeal. Trying to communicate with wait staff and cashiers can be challenging when you can’t hear very well. But with a pair of hearing aids, the whole process suddenly becomes a lot easier. You can navigate a lot more independently.
Driving will also be less hazardous. That’s because your hearing aids will enhance your overall situational awareness (more on that later). You will be less anxious about doing things on your own when you’re able to hear the world more clearly.
3. You might make more money
Let’s chuck out a hypothetical: if you’re in a meeting at work and miss half of what’s said, you may not perform your job adequately. This can lead to passed promotions or even dicey job prospects.
When you’re wearing properly calibrated hearing aids, you will be less fatigued from straining to hear, and keeping up with those meetings will be a lot easier. By doing this you can have a chance to boost your income by improving your ability to focus on work.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will decrease
Tinnitus is one of those things that most individuals have experienced from time to time; it’s that buzzing or ringing in your ear. Tinnitus symptoms will frequently be more intense and more often with hearing loss (there are a number of explanations for this, sometimes the tinnitus is just relatively louder because everything else is so quiet, for example).
With a hearing aid, many individuals note that they experience decreased tinnitus symptoms. The louder overall outside sound provided by the hearing aid may be, in some cases, just drowning out the tinnitus symptoms. But we will take relief whenever we can, right?
5. Less chance of developing dementia
Hearing impairment and cognitive decline are definitely connected. For example, untreated hearing loss can significantly elevate your chance of developing dementia. There are lots of theories about why this might be, but the end result is that managing your hearing loss appears to be helpful! That’s why it’s essential to make sure you use your hearing aids. You might be giving your brain a greater chance of staying healthy longer.
6. You can appreciate music again
It’s tough to appreciate music, in its whole entirety, when you have hearing impairment. That’s because hearing loss tends to impact one wavelength of sound first, then another. For example, you may be unable to hear low frequencies. The music you used to like, consequently, might sound… different.
With your hearing aids, though, those missing holes in the music will be filled in, and you can enjoy music again! You’ll get the high notes and the low notes, instead of only one or the other (or a garbled mess). Hearing your favorite band again can be extremely enjoyable.
7. You’ll get a boost of confidence
Having better hearing and interacting more completely will give you a boost of confidence. And who doesn’t like confidence?
We’re not implying that you shouldn’t have confidence just because you have hearing loss. It’s just that, especially 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 interactions can become easier again with hearing aids. And when that happens, confidence will improve.
8. You’ll have more vigor
Your brain is most likely working extra hard if your hearing loss is gradually progressing. The audio gaps 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 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 refresh. It will have less work to accomplish. With this, continual tiredness and weariness will be lessened. You’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy doing!
9. Being more mindful of your surroundings will keep you safer
If your hearing loss is new, you might not yet have completely adapted. Normally, you would hear oncoming traffic before you step out into the street. Before you look up into your rearview mirror, you would normally hear the oncoming sirens.
If your hearing loss is new, or you aren’t aware of it, you may assume that some scenarios are safe when they actually aren’t. That can put you in some really unsafe situations.
Hearing aids will help restore that lost awareness. Your decision making will be smarter and less hazardous.
10. You will set a good example!
The one thing that can be even harder than change is personal growth. When you invest in a hearing aid, you’re accepting that something isn’t actually working right anymore. But you’re improving yourself as well.
There’s nothing wrong with that! We should all strive for this type of thing, right? So you’re becoming a role model and a positive example when you use your hearing aids. You should be proud of yourself.
Have your hearing tested today
When you wear hearing aids you will hear better and that’s the biggest benefit. That one’s obvious. But there are lots of advantages to using hearing aids. This top ten list is by no means complete.
You may have an entirely different top ten list. Making an appointment with us for a hearing test is the first step no matter what benefits you look forward to.