Roughly 38 million Americans have reported some degree of hearing loss. Of those 38 million people, roughly 29 million Americans could benefit from wearing hearing aids. Hearing aids will not only help you hear sounds around you a little more clearly, but they provide other health advantages.
Your mental and physical health can be improved by wearing hearing aids. In many ways, wearing hearing aids can help you stay on your feet.
Mental Health Advantages
Mental illnesses such as depression, cognitive decline, anxiety and dementia can be triggered by hearing loss. So, how can wearing hearing aids help with your mental health?
- Decreases Your Chances of Dementia: One study reported that wearing hearing aids can decrease your chances of dementia by nearly 20%. In other studies, dementia was slowed by as much as two years when wearing hearing aids.
- Depression and Anxiety: Depression and anxiety are not symptoms that are specific to hearing loss. However, people who suffer from hearing loss have shown to have a higher risk of depression and anxiety over time. Wearing your hearing aids can help you stay socially involved. They can be particularly effective if social and mental connectivity are reasons that contribute to depression and anxiety.
- Lowers Social Solitude: Untreated hearing loss can often lead to social isolation. Social isolation can cause considerable changes your mood. Being able to continue to be social by wearing hearing aids is extremely beneficial.
Physical Health Advantages
Wearing hearing aids not only helps with your mental health, but your physical health as well. The main physical advantage to hearing aids is that you will fall less often. This happens for two reasons.
- Situational Awareness: Wearing your hearing aids means you are more capable of avoiding obstacles that could cause a fall.
- Fall Detection: In certain cases, it’s not the fall that is the problem. It is the inability to get back up afterwards. Many new hearing aid models have fall detection as a standard feature. You can save emergency phone numbers in your phone that will be automatically called if you take a tumble.
Wear Your Hearing Aids
It’s worth noting that if you have healthy hearing, these advantages will not apply to you. The advantages of wearing hearing aids applies to those who suffer from hearing loss or have hearing conditions. However, if you do suffer from hearing loss, the best thing you can do for your ears and your overall health is to go see a hearing specialist and wear your hearing aids.