Even when it’s fairly mild, hearing loss can have a big impact on your life. There will be a dramatic change in the way you connect with family, friends, and coworkers. Daily activities like going to the grocery store can become more difficult. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be all doom and gloom. Quite the opposite, a well calibrated set of hearing aids can make a big difference.
Most people usually think of those advantages in a really linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s true. But how is the quality of life improved? What further benefits will hearing aids create?
The top ten reasons to invest in hearing aids
It’s sort of extraordinary, isn’t it, how humans can so often put together top ten lists for anything? I bet you didn’t think you would be reading a top ten list about hearing aids when you woke up this morning. Well, perhaps you did if you’ve been dealing with your hearing loss for a while.
So, what are the top ten advantages associated with wearing your hearing aid? Here they are!
1. Your relationships will get better
Great communication is crucial to any great relationship. But when you have neglected hearing loss, communication can be a real challenge. With hearing aids, you’ll finally hear more than little bits of conversation. You’ll be able to keep up with the conversation and get the entire story.
You won’t be resentful and feel excluded from conversations. So your general relationships, amongst your friends, co-workers, and family members, will improve. There is a strong connection between relationships and hearing aids!
2. You’ll be more independent
When you have untreated hearing loss, tasks like shopping or dining out can be a real ordeal. Trying to communicate with wait staff and cashiers can be challenging when you can’t hear very well. But the whole process becomes easier when you use hearing aids. You’ll have much more independence when you navigate the world around you.
Driving will also be safer. That’s because your hearing aids will improve your total situational awareness (more on that in a bit). When you hear more of the world, you’ll be capable of doing more by yourself, and you’ll be able to do it with less anxiety.
3. You might make more money
Let’s throw out a hypothetical: if you’re losing large portions of what’s being discussed during meetings at work, your work performance will be affected negatively. This can result in decreased job opportunities and being passed-up for promotions.
With your hearing aids firmly in place and working correctly, you’ll be able to keep up with meetings, and you won’t be as tired all the time from struggling to hear. By doing this you can have an opportunity to boost your income by increasing your ability to focus on work.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will decrease
Tinnitus is one of those things that most individuals have experienced from time to time; it’s that ringing or buzzing in your ear. When you have hearing loss, tinnitus can often be felt much more intensely (tinnitus is sometimes more noticeable with hearing loss simply because everything else is quieter, but there may also be other reasons too).
With a hearing aid, many people note that they experience reduced tinnitus symptoms. In these cases, that’s because the hearing aid is drowning out the sound of the tinnitus. But relief is relief.
5. Less chance of developing dementia
Hearing loss and cognitive issues are strongly linked. Your risk of developing dementia can be seriously elevated by disregarding hearing loss, for instance. There are lots of hypotheses about why this might be, but the bottom line is that treating your hearing loss seems to help! That’s why it’s essential to make sure you use your hearing aids. You could be helping your brain health!
6. Music can once again be appreciated
It’s difficult to enjoy music, in its whole entirety, when you suffer from hearing impairment. That’s because one wavelength of sound normally goes before the others. For example, you may be unable to hear low frequencies. As a result, the song you once enjoyed might just sound… strange.
You will be able to enjoy music again with your hearing aids filling in the missing sound. You’ll hear all of the wavelengths and your music won’t sound so garbled. It can be an incredible relief to hear your favorite song again.
7. Your confidence will grow
Your confidence will be enhanced when you can hear better and have more effective interactions. And confidence is a great thing.
This isn’t to say that hearing loss should rob you of your confidence. It’s just that, especially if that hearing loss is recent, you might suddenly find it a challenge to interact with others in the same ways you always have.
A hearing aid can make those interactions easier again. And when that takes place, confidence will grow.
8. Your energy will be higher
If your hearing loss has been slowly advancing, your brain has likely been working harder. That’s because your brain doesn’t know your ears aren’t working right, so it’s continuously attempting to fill in the audio gaps that your hearing loss has created. That’s… a lot of work! And so, your brain is under continual strain.
When you invest in a hearing aid, you’re giving your brain the opportunity to relax and refresh. It won’t need to work as hard. Which means you won’t feel so continually tired and depleted. You’ll enjoy doing the things that are exciting for you with this increased energy.
9. You’ll be safer and more perceptive of your environment
You may not have adapted to your hearing loss, particularly if it’s recent. Usually, you would hear oncoming traffic before you step out into the road. You’re used to hearing the ambulance siren before you look in the rearview mirror.
If your hearing loss is new, or you aren’t aware of it, you may assume that some situations are safe when they actually aren’t. That can put you in some very unsafe situations.
Hearing aids will help restore that lost awareness. Your decision making will be smarter and less hazardous.
10. You’ll be a positive example!
The one thing that can be even more difficult than change is personal growth. You’re admitting that things aren’t functioning effectively now when you invest in a hearing aid. But you’re also attempting to improve the situation.
There’s nothing wrong with that! It’s the kind of thing we should all strive for! So you’re becoming a role model and a positive example when you wear your hearing aids. You should be proud of yourself.
Get your hearing checked today
When you wear hearing aids you will hear better and that’s the main benefit. That one’s obvious. But as you know, there are lots of immediate advantages of hearing aids! This top ten list is only that, one little list of just ten of these benefits.
You might have a totally different top ten list. No matter what benefits you look forward to the most, the first step is making an appointment with us to have your hearing tested.