In the past, hearing aids have had a stigma. If you wear one, people may think of you as old. The effect?
Many people of all ages put themselves in danger of numerous health problems because they forgo getting hearing aids and decide to live with hearing loss. The numbers back this up: 30 million individuals in the US suffering from hearing loss, yet only about 15 percent of that population has ever used a hearing aid.
In addition, younger people are suffering from hearing loss in higher numbers than ever before: a WHO report from 2015 predicted that 1.1 billion teens and young adults would damage their hearing irreparably due to over the top use of headphones and extremely loud music festivals.
However, changing attitudes and advanced technology have given hearing aids a new life, and pretty soon they’ll be in the same class as eye-glasses – and contact lenses, for that matter.
Why Should You Wear Hearing Aids
There are a lots of reasons why wearing hearing aids is a good idea, some of them obvious and some of them unexpected.
Here are several of the most common reasons:
- Conversations will be much easier
- You’ll give your brain a break
- You can appreciate social activities and situations again
- You’ll increase your earning power
- You can lessen tinnitus symptoms
- You’re able to hear better (As we said, there were some obvious ones on the list)
- You can listen to television and music at normal volumes
Are these reasons sounding beneficial to you? Even a person with slight hearing loss can find some advantage from using hearing aids.
What many people don’t know is that hearing loss is connected to cognitive decline, mental health problems, and conditions such as Alzheimers disease and dementia.
This may happen for several different reasons according to recent studies, this includes the overworking of the brain as it battles to understand sounds that it hears. It could be that the brain cells don’t receive enough stimulation so they shrink and die, or it could be due to the number one cause of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems which is social isolation.
By allowing you to hear words and sounds near you more clearly, hearing aids can help lessen these issues. Your brain can then process these sounds as it ordinarily would without needing to use additional resources, while you’ll gain the confidence and ability to enjoy social activities and conversations again.
Technological Advances in Hearing Aids
By now it should be apparent why people of any age need to use hearing aids if they need them. Now it’s time to discover how hearing aids have advanced in the past few years.
The bulky, over-the-ear hearing aids are still available for the people who want them. They also have progressed to the point that they can figure out where sound is coming from and can filter out sound effectively. However, there are more modern versions of hearing aids that are virtually unnoticeable, yet contain quite a bit of technology to work with today’s digital world.
Is syncing your hearing aids up with your Bluetooth devices including your tv, cellphone, or tablet something you would want to do? Then you’re in luck since many modern hearing aids have Bluetooth technology that enables them to connect to a range of devices. There are even higher-end versions keep track of your physical health, stream music, and take calls for you. Smart hearing aids are becoming a must for anyone who has hearing loss because just like your smartphone or smartwatch, they’re just made to do more. So now that you are ready to deal with your hearing loss and begin using a hearing aid, consult with us for an appointment and hearing assessment.