Hearing aids could help around 28 million people. Naturally, when we discuss statistics like that, we usually mean that those 28 million individuals would hear the world a little better if they had some help (in the form of a specialized device). But your hearing aids will also help you take advantage of some other health benefits.
It turns out that something as easy as using your hearing aids could be good for your physical and mental health. Everything from depression to a risk of falling can be slowed or even prevented by these gadgets. In many ways, your hearing aids can help you stay on your feet.
Mental Health Benefits of Hearing Aids
Modern medical studies have solidly established a connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. Mental illnesses like dementia, cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression, according to current thinking, can be triggered by hearing loss due to a combination of physical, mental and social factors.
So the mental health benefits of hearing aids shouldn’t be all that surprising.
Lowering Your Risk of Dementia
According to one study, wearing your hearing aids can help reduce your chances of developing dementia by up to 18%. And all you have to do to take advantage of this amazing advantage is remember to wear your hearing every day.
Other research has suggested that wearing your hearing aids on a regular basis can delay the onset of dementia by up to a couple of years. Further research needs to be done to help clarify and replicate these findings, but it’s certainly encouraging.
Decrease Anxiety And Depression
Anxiety and depression are not symptoms that are unique to individuals who have hearing loss. But individuals with hearing loss have been shown to have a higher risk of anxiety and depression over time.
When you wear hearing aids, you are likely to stay more mentally focused and engaged socially. Hearing aids can be especially helpful if those factors are contributing to depression and anxiety.
You’ll Feel Less Lonely
While dementia may sound much more severe, for individuals with neglected hearing loss, loneliness can be a real issue, caused by and exacerbating a sense of social solitude. Your general mood can be significantly impacted by social separation. So being able to continue to be social and involved with help from your hearing aid can be a big benefit.
To be certain, this is connected to your hearing aids’ ability to reduce the risks of depression, for instance. All of these health issues, to a certain degree, are in some way connected.
Hearing Aids And Physical Advantages
As your hearing impairment worsens, there is some research that shows that you may be at a higher risk of stroke. But this research is in preliminary stages. The most pronounced (and noticeable) physical benefit of hearing aids is a little more straightforward: you’ll fall less often.
There are a couple of explanations for this:
- Fall detection: At times, it’s not the fall that’s hazardous. Rather, it’s that you can’t get back up that can be a real problem. Many new designs of hearing aids come with fall detection built in. With particular settings enabled, when you take a tumble, a call will immediately be made to one of your pre-programmed emergency contacts so they will know to check on you.
- Situational awareness: If your pet, as an example, is zooming out to greet you, you will hear them coming and will be prepared for them to be under your feet.
Falling can have very significant health impacts, especially as you age. So preventing falls (or decreasing the damage from falls) can be a major benefit that ripples throughout your overall health.
Be Certain to Wear Your Hearing Aids
It’s worth noting that all of these advantages apply to those who suffer from hearing ailments. Hearing aids won’t, for instance, help someone with healthy hearing avoid falling.
But wearing your hearing aids, if you do have hearing loss, is the smartest thing you can do for general health.