Hearing loss doesn’t just affect your hearing. You may not realize just how much of a negative effect it can have on your daily life. And the longer you wait to get a hearing test, the worse the consequences can become.
Fortunately for many, hearing aids not only help improve hearing, but also improve quality of life and reduce many health risks associated with untreated hearing loss.
Here are some of the top surprising advantages of treatment.
1. Brighter spirits
Having trouble hearing conversations can be disheartening and frustrating to deal with. You can start to feel down, hopeless, frustrated, and even depressed. In fact, several research studies have linked hearing loss to depression.
Wearing hearing aids can help you hear better, which in turn, will brighten your spirits. You’ll likely feel more engaged in life, find more pleasure from performing simple tasks, and be more optimistic, which will help improve your quality of life considerably.
2. Improved relationships
Hearing loss can have a negative impact on your relationships with your loved ones. You might get frustrated thinking that your loved ones are mumbling. Your spouse might get annoyed because they constantly have to repeat themselves. Your friends might be disappointed because you don’t catch up on the phone as much as you used to. This is because hearing on the phone, where you don’t have the ability to use body language to fill in the gaps in speech, is a lot more difficult than hearing in person.
Eventually, these problems can take their toll and damage previously healthy relationships. When you start to hear better thanks to hearing aids, these problems will disappear and your relationships may improve.
3. Greater independence
Once your hearing difficulties become more severe, you could start to depend more heavily on those around you. You might need an interpreter on the phone. Your friends or family members might be required relay what people are saying. You might not want to be in difficult listening environment without a loved one present to help you hear.
When you get fitted for hearing aids, you may be able to regain your independence. You won’t have to rely on others to help you hear.
4. More social activity
Hearing loss often leads to social isolation. When it becomes increasingly difficult to hear what those around you are saying, it often seems easier to stay home and avoid the situation altogether. As a result, you could end up avoiding birthday parties, anniversaries, family reunions, and even casual get-togethers in restaurants because these events are taking place in difficult hearing environments.
You might avoid taking up a new hobby or attending classes in fear that you won’t be able to hear the instructors or participate actively in group discussions.
You won’t have to miss out on life anymore when you treat your hearing problems. You’ll be able to live your life to its fullest and be social again.
5. Improved cognition
Studies show that cognition suffers when hearing loss is left untreated. When you’re spending so much cognitive effort on listening, resources are limited for other aspects of cognition, such as comprehension and memory. Even mild hearing difficulties can have an effect on many aspects of cognitive function due to the cognitive load required in listening. There is also a link between hearing loss and dementia.
Once you begin to wear hearing aids, you can spend less effort listening, and more time understanding what those around you are saying, remembering what they said, and enjoying the conversations taking place.
Request an appointment for a comprehensive hearing evaluation with a doctoral-level audiologist at Associated Audiologists. It could be the first step to improving your quality of life.
