As far as hearing specialists know, most forms of hearing loss are permanent, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be treated! Hearing assistance has developed at a remarkable speed in recent years, right alongside other developments in audio technology. With these advancements, the benefits of treatment are greater than ever before. You might believe, however, that the benefits of treatment for hearing loss are limited to hearing itself, including our abilities to communicate. Indeed, these benefits are the first you will notice when you get your aids. Although these initial benefits might jump out at you, other benefits are beneath the surface that you might not even notice. Let’s look beyond the surface level to some of the other benefits of treating hearing loss that might be changing your life in profound and lasting ways.
Physical Benefits
Though researchers continue to work to understand how these connections work, hearing loss is correlated with a wide range of negative health outcomes. In some cases, hearing loss might be the cause of other physical health issues. In other cases, a third underlying factor might cause both hearing loss and other physical health issues. While they are working to better understand how hearing is connected with your physical health, you can rest assured that getting treatment makes a huge difference in some of these relationships. Although hearing loss is correlated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, accidents, and injuries, treatment can make a marked difference in your physical health.
Cognitive Benefits
Another leading area for research has to do with a connection between hearing loss and dementia. Many researchers speculate that the connection has to do with communication ability. When a person has untreated hearing loss, conversations don’t supply enough useful sonic information to make communication possible. Without the ability to understand what others are saying, the brain can scramble to put together meaningful phrases and thoughts, and that scrambling can have a negative effect on other types of cognition. While researchers continue to seek to understand the relationship between hearing loss and dementia, you can rest assured that studies are showing the relationship disappears for those who use hearing aids. With consistent use, hearing aids make the brain of a person with hearing loss look like a person with no hearing loss at all when it comes to the risk of dementia.
Mental and Social Benefits
Along with the loss of communication ability, hearing loss can start a chain reaction of other effects, as well. Imagine the frustrating experience of a person who has untreated hearing loss. Struggling to make sense of conversations can become so frustrating, in fact, that some people with untreated hearing loss would prefer to avoid social situations altogether. Rather than taking the risk of engagement in social settings such as parties and dinners out at restaurants, some people prefer to stay at home and to isolate themselves. This tendency can extend to essential parts of life, such as trips to the store or to take care of errands.
When a person becomes socially isolated, it can set off a chain reaction of mental health problems, including anger, anxiety, and depression. On the contrary, those who get treatment for hearing loss find that they can re-engage with the world again, not only rebuilding connections with friends and family, but having those casual conversations that become the fabric of social life.
If these benefits aren’t enough, those who get treatment for hearing loss report a general improvement in quality of life. With fewer accidents and injuries, better cognitive ability, and rebuilt connections with friends and loved ones, the benefits of getting treatment for hearing loss is undeniable.
With all of these benefits in mind, the time is now to schedule a hearing test to begin the path toward hearing assistance. With a complete diagnosis of your needs, you can embark on the path toward reaping these benefits and more.
We will be your trusted advisor through the process, and a thorough consultation about your individual lifestyle and needs will help pair you with the right hearing aids for you. As hearing assistive technology advances, you can take advantage of all the benefits in store for you!