Even when it’s fairly mild, hearing loss can have a big impact on your life. There will be a considerable change in the way you interact with family, friends, and coworkers. It can become a challenge to perform daily tasks such as going shopping. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be all doom and gloom. If you use a well adjusted hearing aid, it can make a big difference.
Most people tend to think of those advantages in a really linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s not untrue. But how do hearing aids better quality of life? Just how far do the benefits of hearing aids go?
The top ten reasons to invest in hearing aids
We people 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 woke up this morning. Well, perhaps you did if you’ve been dealing with your hearing loss for a while.
So, what are the top ten benefits linked to wearing your hearing aid? Here they are!
1. You will have better relationships.
Great communication is critical to any good relationship. But when you have neglected hearing loss, communication can be a real challenge. With hearing aids, you’ll finally hear more than little bits of conversation. You’ll hear everything, you’ll get the whole story, and you’ll be capable of keeping up with the conversation.
This also means you won’t feel left out of 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. The connection between hearing aids and relationships is a powerful one!
2. You’ll be more independent
Shopping at the supermarket or going to a restaurant when you’re dealing with neglected hearing loss can be an ordeal. Trying to communicate with wait staff and cashiers can be challenging when you can’t hear very well. But with a set of hearing aids, the entire process quickly becomes much easier. You can navigate much more independently.
You’ll also be in a better position to drive safely. That’s because your overall situational awareness will be enhanced by your hearing aids. You will be less anxious about doing things on your own when you can hear the world more clearly.
3. You might make more money
Consider this hypothetical situation: if you’re losing large parts of what’s being talked about during meetings at work, your job performance will suffer. This can lead to decreased job opportunities and being passed-up for promotions.
When you’re wearing precisely tuned hearing aids, you will be less fatigued from straining to hear, and keeping up with those meetings will be a lot easier. This can increase your focus on work and put you in a stronger position to grow your income.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will decrease
Tinnitus is that buzzing or ringing in the ear that most of us have experienced occasionally. Tinnitus symptoms will usually be more intense and more often with hearing loss (tinnitus is sometimes more noticeable with hearing loss simply because everything else is quieter, but there may also be other reasons too).
Many individuals report that their tinnitus symptoms decrease when they wear a hearing aid. In these instances, that’s because the hearing aid is overpowering the sound of the tinnitus. But we will take relief whenever we can, right?
5. Decreased risk of mental decline
Hearing loss and cognitive decline are definitely connected. For example, untreated hearing loss can seriously elevate your risk of developing dementia. There are many theories about why this might be, but the bottom line 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 could be helping the health of your brain!
6. You can appreciate music again
It’s difficult to enjoy music, in its whole entirety, when you suffer from hearing loss. That’s because hearing loss is likely to impact one frequency of sound first, then another. For example, you might be unable to pick up low frequencies. The music you used to like, consequently, may sound… different.
With your hearing aids, though, those missing holes in the music will be filled in, and you can appreciate music again! You’ll get the high notes and the low notes, instead of just one or the other (or a muffled mess). It can be an amazing relief to hear your favorite song again.
7. You’ll get a boost of confidence
Your confidence will be enhanced when you can hear better and have more effective interactions. And who doesn’t want confidence?
This isn’t to say that hearing impairment should take away your confidence. We’re simply saying that you might find yourself having a hard time interacting with others, particularly if your hearing loss is new.
Those connections can become easier again when you use hearing aids. And that can lead to a boost in confidence.
8. Your energy will be increased
If your hearing impairment has been slowly advancing, your brain has most likely been working overtime. That’s because your brain doesn’t realize your ears aren’t working right, so it’s continuously attempting to fill in the audio holes that your hearing impairment has produced. That’s hard work. And it means that your brain is struggling (and strained) almost all the time.
Your brain gets to refresh and unwind when you use a hearing aid. It won’t have to work so hard. Which means you won’t feel so continually tired and drained. You’ll have more vitality to do the things you love to do!
9. Being more mindful of your surroundings will keep you safer
You may not have adapted to your hearing loss, particularly if it’s recent. You’re used to hearing traffic before you step out into the street. You’re used to hearing the emergency siren before you check the rearview mirror.
You might assume certain situations are safe when, because you’re unaware of your hearing loss, or you’ve neglected it, they really aren’t. And that can be a hazardous proposition.
Hearing aids will help regain that lost awareness. Your decision making will be smarter and less hazardous.
10. You will set a good example!
Change can be difficult, and personal growth still harder. You’re admitting that things aren’t working properly now when you get a hearing aid. But you’re also trying to improve the situation.
There’s nothing wrong with that! It’s the sort of thing we should all work for! So when you pop in your hearing aids, you’re making yourself a positive example and role model. You should be proud of yourself.
Get your hearing tested as soon as you can
When you wear hearing aids you will hear better and that’s the principal advantage. That goes without saying. But as you can tell, there are tons of immediate advantages of hearing aids! This top ten list is just that, one little list of only ten of these benefits.
Your top ten list may look a little different. No matter what advantages you look forward to the most, the first step is scheduling an appointment with us to have your hearing checked.