Hearing aids could benefit around 28 million people. Of course, when we talk about data like that, we normally mean that those 28 million individuals would hear the world a little bit more clearly if they had some help (in the form of a specialized device). But your hearing aids can also help you take advantage of some other health benefits.
It turns out that something as straight forward as using your hearing aids could help your mental and physical health. These tiny devices can help prevent (or delay) everything from depression to fall-induced-injury. In more ways than one, your hearing aids can help you stay on your feet.
Hearing Aids And Mental Health Benefits
Modern medical studies have solidly demonstrated a link between cognitive decline and hearing loss. Currently, the thinking is that, for a combination of social, mental, and physical reasons, hearing loss can bring about an escalated danger of mental illness, like cognitive decline, anxiety, depression, and dementia.
So it’s no surprise that recent analyses has suggested that hearing aids might have considerable mental health benefits.
Dementia Risks Decreased
Based on one study, wearing your hearing aids can help reduce your chances of developing dementia by as much as 18%. And all you need to do to make the most of this awesome benefit is remember to wear your hearing daily.
In other studies, the onset of dementia was delayed by as much as two years by using hearing aids. Further research needs to be carried out to help explain and duplicate these findings, but it’s definitely encouraging.
Depression And Anxiety Can be Decreased
Countless people suffer from depression and anxiety even if they don’t have hearing loss. But people who have hearing loss have been shown to have a higher risk of depression and anxiety over time.
Wearing your hearing aids can help keep you socially active and mentally connected. If those were contributing factors to depression and anxiety, they can help.
You’ll Feel Less Lonely
While dementia might sound much more severe, for individuals with neglected hearing loss, loneliness can be a genuine issue, caused by and exacerbating a sense of social isolation. Your overall mood can be substantially affected by social separation. So being able to remain social and involved thanks to your hearing aid can be a big benefit.
To be sure, this ties together with your hearing aids’ ability to lower the risks of depression, for example. All of these health issues, to some extent, are in some way connected.
Hearing Aids And Physical Advantages
As your hearing impairment gets worse, there is some evidence that you could be at a higher risk of having a stroke. But these studies are in preliminary phases. The most obvious (and noticeable) physical advantage of hearing aids is a little simpler: you won’t fall as often.
There are a couple of reasons for this:
- Fall detection: Many times, it’s getting back up after a fall that is the real danger, not the fall itself. Many new models of hearing aids come with fall detection as a standard feature. You can save emergency phone numbers into your phone which will be automatically called if you take a tumble.
- Situational awareness: Hearing aids can increase your situational awareness. If your pet, for instance, is zooming out to say hi, you will be able to hear them coming and will be ready for them to be under your feet.
Falling can have very substantial health effects, particularly as you age. So your overall health can be safeguarded by reducing damage from falls or avoiding them entirely.
Wear Your Hearing Aids Everyday
It’s worth keeping in mind that all of these advantages apply to those who have hearing conditions. Hearing aids won’t, for instance, help someone with healthy hearing avoid a fall.
But if you do have hearing loss, the smartest thing you can do for your hearing, and for the rest of your body, is to wear your hearing aids.