Even when it’s fairly mild, hearing loss can have a big impact on your life. There will be a significant change in the way you interact with loved ones, friends, and coworkers. Daily activities like going to the grocery store can become more challenging. 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.
Most people tend to think of those benefits in a very linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s true. But how is the quality of life improved? What further benefits will hearing aids create?
The top ten reasons to invest in hearing aids
It’s sort of extraordinary, isn’t it, how humans can so often produce top ten lists for everything? I bet you didn’t think you would be reading a top ten list about hearing aids when you got up this morning. Well, maybe you did if you’ve been dealing with your hearing loss for a while.
So here are the top ten benefits of using hearing aids.
1. You will have better relationships.
For any relationship to be strong, good communication is essential. But when you have untreated hearing loss, communication can be challenging. With hearing aids, you’ll finally hear more than little bits of conversation. You’ll be able to keep up with the conversation and get the entire story.
You won’t be resentful and feel left out of conversations. So you will have an improvement in your relationships with family members, friends, and coworkers. There is a strong link between relationships and hearing aids!
2. You’ll be more independent
When you have neglected hearing loss, activities like shopping or dining out can be a real ordeal. When you can’t hear very well, communicating with cashiers and wait staff can be difficult. But with a set of hearing aids, the entire process quickly becomes much easier. You can navigate much more independently.
You’ll also be better able to drive safely. That’s because your hearing aids will enhance your all-around situational awareness (more on that in a bit). You won’t be as anxious about doing things on your own when you’re able to hear the world more clearly.
3. Better hearing could lead to higher pay
Let’s throw out a hypothetical: if you’re missing large portions of what’s being talked about during meetings at work, your job performance will suffer. This can result in diminished job opportunities and being passed-up for promotions.
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 much easier. By doing this you can have a chance to raise your income by increasing your ability to focus on work.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will diminish
Tinnitus is one of those things that most individuals have experienced at times; it’s that buzzing or ringing in your ear. Tinnitus symptoms will frequently be more extreme and frequent with hearing loss (there are a host of explanations for this, sometimes the tinnitus is only relatively noisier because everything else is so quiet, for instance).
Many people observe that their tinnitus symptoms decrease when they use a hearing aid. The louder overall outside sound supplied by the hearing aid might be, in some cases, just drowning out the tinnitus symptoms. But we will take relief where we can get it, right?
5. Less chance of developing dementia
There is a firm link between mental decline and hearing impairment. For example, untreated hearing loss can seriously raise your risk of developing dementia. There are numerous theories about why this might be, but the end result is that managing your hearing loss seems to be helpful! That’s why it isn’t a good idea to forget to wear your hearing aid. You could be giving your brain a greater chance of staying healthy longer.
6. Music can once again be enjoyed
It’s tough to appreciate music, in its full entirety, when you have hearing impairment. That’s because hearing loss tends to impact one wavelength of sound first, then another. For instance, you might be unable to pick up low frequencies. The music you used to like, as a result, 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 hear all of the frequencies and your music won’t sound so muffled. Hearing your favorite tune again can be extremely enjoyable.
7. You’ll get an increase in confidence
Having better hearing and interacting more completely will give you a boost of confidence. And confidence is a great thing.
We’re not suggesting that you shouldn’t be confident just because you have hearing loss. It’s just that, especially if that hearing loss is recent, you might suddenly find it a challenge to interact with others in the same ways you usually do.
A hearing aid can make those interactions easier again. And when that takes place, confidence will improve.
8. You’ll have more vigor
Your brain is most likely working overtime if your hearing loss is slowly advancing. 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 it means that your brain is struggling (and strained) almost all the time.
When you invest in a hearing aid, you’re giving your brain a chance to slow down and recharge. It will have less work to do. With this, continuous tiredness and weariness will be lessened. You’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy doing!
9. Being more conscious of your surroundings will keep you safer
You may not have adjusted to your hearing loss, especially if it’s new. Normally, you would hear oncoming traffic before you step out into the street. Before you look in your rearview mirror, you would ordinarily hear the oncoming sirens.
You may presume certain situations are safe when, because you’re not aware of your hearing loss, or you’ve ignored it, they really aren’t. And that can be a dangerous proposition.
This lost awareness will be recovered by using hearing aids. Your decision making will be wiser and safer.
10. You’ll be a positive example!
Change can be difficult, and personal growth harder still. When you invest in a hearing aid, you’re acknowledging that something isn’t necessarily working properly anymore. But you’re also trying to better the situation.
There’s nothing wrong with that! It’s the kind 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.
Have your hearing checked as soon as you can
The main benefit of hearing aids is that you get to enjoy hearing better. That one’s obvious. But there are plenty of advantages to using hearing aids. This top ten list is by no means complete.
Your top ten list might 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 tested.