The Benefits of Treating Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is one of the most common afflictions for people as we age. But in America alone, only about 1 out of 4 people who suffer from hearing loss have hearing aids. On average, it takes about 7 years from the time a person notices symptoms of hearing loss to the time they get hearing aids. Why is hearing loss so undertreated?
Many people think of past generations of hearing aids. They were large and not very smart; they simply made everything louder. Today’s hearing aids are much more invisible (or stylish, if you’d rather put them on display like jewelry). They are smart enough to tell the difference between speech and background noise. They can be tailored for individual needs and lifestyles. They have Bluetooth capability for integration with phones and automobiles. Today’s hearing aids are decidedly not your parents’ hearing aids. Far from being a sign that we are slowing down, hearing aids keep us able to be more active and present. So, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of treating hearing loss with hearing aids.
Hearing Ability Affects Income
For those in the workforce, normal or near-normal hearing is crucial to keeping a position that was acquired at a time of normal hearing ability. Being able to recognize speech makes us more valuable in the workplace, which translates to higher earning power. A study conducted by the Better Hearing Institute found that people with untreated hearing loss earned $30,000 less than their hearing colleagues. Given that, statistically, people wait an average of 7 years to treat their hearing loss, this translates to lost earnings of over $200,000.
Cognitive Ability is Tied to Hearing Ability
Study after study links untreated hearing loss to increased and faster onset of dementia in seniors. The University of Pennsylvania found that hearing loss contributes to atrophy in the hearing centers of the brain. Over time, this makes understanding speech more difficult even when it is clearly audible. Straining to hear is mentally exhausting, leading to fatigue, which affects memory retention. Clearly, dealing with hearing loss is not as simple as just trying harder or compensating for our difficulties in hearing. There are catastrophic and cascading mental effects of being cut off from one of our key ways of interfacing with those around us. The good news is, with hearing aids of today being able to restore our hearing to near-normal functioning, none of this needs to happen. But the earlier we seek treatment, the better.
Treating Hearing Loss Also Benefits Tinnitus
Over 50 million Americans experience the high-pitched, pure tones known as tinnitus. 90 percent of those with tinnitus also have hearing loss. The hearing aids of today can be fitted (programmed) to alleviate tinnitus while they enhance your ability to hear desired sound.
Personal Relationships are Better-Maintained
In a British study, 34% of respondents attributed the loss of relationships ranging from friendships to marriages to hearing loss. It should come as no surprise that our ability to hear and respond to those around us is a crucial element of our sociality as human beings, and if we can’t hear what our partners and friends are saying to us, we can’t be present and responsive to them. Even if we are able to understand them, hearing loss makes it more difficult, increasing our fatigue and distracting us from full engagement with them. Hearing aids allow us to maintain our relationships long into the future.
Positive Self-Image
Many people who resist getting hearing aids, even though they recognize they are suffering from hearing loss, are worried about feeling “old” or having to re categorize themselves as defective. In fact, it is just the opposite that happens. People who seek treatment for their hearing loss are able to maintain a more positive self-image, as they are able to participate in the goings-on around them more easily. Hearing aids make us more present and focused on the moment, which is a key factor in maintaining youthfulness into seniority.
Better Hearing Improves Personal Safety
Those with untreated hearing loss are at increased risk for falling down, driving accidents, and other potentially life-threatening mishaps. Hearing aids bring us back to the world of auditory cues, which can indeed save our lives.
Don’t wait 7 years from the time you notice hearing loss to do something about it. Make an appointment for a hearing test and make your life better starting now!