In the past, hearing aids have carried a stigma. Some people simply correlate them with aging. What is the result?
Lots of people, both young and old, decide against hearing aids and suffer unnecessarily from hearing loss, which itself is connected to several health concerns. This is backed up by the numbers: 30 million people in the US dealing with hearing loss, yet only around 15 percent of that group has ever worn a hearing aid.
Also, an increasing number of young people are coping with hearing loss: a WHO report from 2015 forecasted that too much use of headphones and overly loud concert events and festivals will cause over 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults to permanently injure their hearing.
However, changing attitudes and advanced technology have begun to frame hearing aids in a new light, and people are beginning to look at them in a similar way they view eye-glasses.
If You Need Hearing Aids, You Should Wear Them, Here’s Why
There are a lots of reasons why you should wear hearing aids, some of them are unexpected and some are obvious.
Some of the most common reasons are as follows:
- You’re able to hear better (As we said, there were some obvious ones on this list)
- You’ll give your brain a break
- Social activities will be more pleasant
- Conversations will be a lot smoother
- You can lessen tinnitus symptoms
- You’ll increase your earning power
- You can listen to music and television at safe volumes
Do these sound like beneficial reasons to you? Some advantage can be gained by wearing hearing aids even for individuals with mild hearing loss.
What many people don’t know is that hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline, mental health issues, and conditions like Alzheimers disease and dementia.
This might occur for a few different reasons according to recent studies, including that the brain gets overtaxed and overtired because it’s always attempting to comprehend sounds. It might be that the brain cells don’t receive enough stimulation so they shrink and die, 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 near you more clearly, hearing aids can help lessen these problems. Your brain can then process these sounds as it normally would without needing to use additional resources, while you’ll gain the confidence and ability to find enjoyment in social activities and conversations again.
Technological Developments in Hearing Aids
We told you why it’s necessary for anyone with hearing loss, old or young, to use hearing aids. Now it’s time to find out how hearing aids have progressed in the last few years.
The cumbersome, over-the-ear hearing aids are still out there for the people who like them. They also have progressed to the point that they can identify where sound is coming from and can filter out sound effectively. However, there are new and improved versions of hearing aids that are nearly unnoticeable, yet pack quite a lot of technology to fit in with today’s digital world.
Is syncing your hearing aids to your Bluetooth devices like your television, phone, or tablet something you would like to do? Then you’re in luck since most modern hearing aids have Bluetooth technology that allows them to connect with many different devices. There are even higher-end models keep track of your physical health, take calls for you, stream music. Smart hearing aids are becoming a must for anyone who has hearing loss because just like your smartwatch and smartphone, they’re simply designed to do more. Are you ready to tackle hearing loss and buy yourself a hearing aid? Contact us to find out what kind of hearing aid will be the right one for you.