In the past, hearing aids have had a stigma. If you wear one, people might think of you as old. What is the outcome?
Many people, both old and young, go without hearing aids and suffer unnecessarily from hearing loss, which is actually linked to several health problems. This is backed up by the numbers: 30 million individuals in the US suffering from hearing loss, yet only around 15 percent of that population has ever worn a hearing aid.
At the same time, more and more young people are addressing hearing loss: a WHO report from 2015 predicted that excessive use of headphones and overly loud concerts and festivals will cause over 1.1 billion teens and young adults to permanently damage their hearing.
Still, developing technology and changing attitudes have started to frame hearing aids in a new light, and people are starting to view them in a similar way they look at eye-glasses.
Why Should You Wear Hearing Aids
There are a lots of reasons why wearing hearing aids is a smart idea, some of them obvious and some of them unexpected.
Several of the most common reasons are as follows:
- You’re brain won’t need to work as hard
- You’ll have the ability to earn more money
- You won’t have as hard a time in conversations
- Social activities will be more enjoyable
- You can listen to television and music at safe volumes
- One of the obvious reasons is that you will be able to hear better
- You can reduce tinnitus symptoms
Are these reasons sounding good to you? Some advantage can be gained by using hearing aids even for individuals with slight hearing loss.
What many people aren’t aware of is that hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline, mental health problems, and conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
This could happen for a number of different reasons as reported by recent studies, including that the brain gets overtaxed and overtired because it’s always trying to comprehend sounds. it could be that the brain cells shrink and die because they don’t get enough stimulus, or it may be due to the leading cause of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues which is social isolation.
By allowing you to hear words and sounds around you more clearly, hearing aids can help lessen these issues. Your brain can then process these sounds as it typically would without having to use additional resources, while you’ll gain the confidence and ability to find enjoyment in social activities and conversations again.
Hearing Aids Have Developed in Sophistication
By now it should be apparent why people of all ages should wear hearing aids if they require them. Now it’s time to learn how hearing aids have advanced in the last few years.
If really think you would like one of those big over the ear hearing aids, you can still buy one. They do their job adequately and have progressed to the point where most of them don’t have a problem filtering out background noises like wind or determining what direction sound is coming from. Conversely, there are new and improved versions of hearing aids that have sophisticated technology which makes it straight forward for them to fit in with today’s digital world and are almost unnoticeable.
Do you want to connect your hearing aid to your smartphone, tablet, tv, or even your car’s GPS? Then you’re in luck since the majority of modern hearing aids come equipped with Bluetooth technology that permits them to sync with many different devices. There are even higher-end models that can automatically take and make phone calls for you, keep track of your physical activity, and stream music. Smart hearing aids are becoming a must for anybody who has hearing impairment because just like your smartphone or smartwatch, they’re just made to do more. Are you ready to face hearing loss and buy yourself a hearing aid? Consult with us to discover what kind of hearing aid will work best for you.