Even when it’s somewhat minor, hearing loss can have a major impact on your life. The way you interact with friends, coworkers, and loved ones can change drastically. Everyday activities like going to the supermarket can grow more challenging. But it doesn’t have to have this kind of negative impact on you. Quite the opposite, a well calibrated pair of hearing aids can make a big difference.
Most individuals normally think of those benefits in a really linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s not untrue. But how do hearing aids better quality of life? Just how far do the advantages of hearing aids go?
Hearing aid’s top ten benefits
It’s sort of amazing, isn’t it, how we can so frequently put together top ten lists for everything? I bet you didn’t think you would be reading a top ten list about hearing aids when you got 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 benefits linked to wearing your hearing aid? Here they are!
1. You will have better relationships.
Great communication is critical to any good relationship. But when you have neglected hearing loss, communication can be challenging. With hearing aids, you’ll finally hear more than little snippets of conversation. You’ll be able to keep up with the conversation and get the entire story.
This also means you won’t feel excluded from the conversation, and you won’t feel resentful that the conversations carry on without you. So you will have an improvement in your relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. There is a strong connection between relationships and hearing aids!
2. You’ll be more independent
Shopping at the grocery store or going to a restaurant when you’re dealing with neglected hearing loss can feel like an ordeal. When you’re unable to hear all that well, communicating with cashiers and wait staff can be challenging. But the entire process becomes easier when you have hearing aids. You’ll have much more independence when you move around the world around you.
Driving will also be less hazardous. That’s because your hearing aids will enhance your overall situational awareness (more on that in a bit). When you hear more of the world, you’ll be capable of doing more on your own, and you’ll be able to do it with less anxiety.
3. Stronger hearing could lead to higher income
Think about this hypothetical situation: if you’re in a meeting at work and miss half of what’s said, you might not do your job adequately. This can lead to diminished job opportunities and being passed-up for promotions.
With your hearing aids firmly in place and working properly, you’ll be able to follow along with meetings, and you won’t be so tired all the time from straining to hear. This can improve your focus on work and put you in a better position to grow your income.
4. Your tinnitus symptoms will diminish
Tinnitus is that ringing or buzzing in the ear that most of us have experienced occasionally. Tinnitus symptoms will commonly be more extreme and frequent with hearing loss (tinnitus is sometimes louder with hearing loss simply because everything else is quieter, but there could also be other reasons as well).
Many individuals report that their tinnitus symptoms decrease when they use a hearing aid. The louder overall outside sound supplied by the hearing aid may be, in some situations, just drowning out the tinnitus symptoms. But we will take relief whenever we can, right?
5. Less chance of developing dementia
Hearing impairment and cognitive issues are firmly connected. For example, neglected hearing loss can significantly increase your chance of developing dementia. Managing hearing loss seems to be helpful, although there are many theories as to why. That’s why it’s important to be certain you wear your hearing aids. You could be helping the health of your brain!
6. You can appreciate music again
It’s difficult to appreciate music, in its whole entirety, when you suffer from hearing impairment. That’s because hearing loss is likely to impact one frequency of sound first, then another. For example, you might be unable to pick up low frequencies. As a result, the song you used to enjoy 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 muffled. Hearing your favorite song again can be extremely enjoyable.
7. Your confidence will grow
Your confidence will be enhanced when you can hear better and have more successful interactions. And who doesn’t want confidence?
This isn’t to say that hearing impairment should rob you of your confidence. We’re just saying that you may find yourself having a difficult time interacting with others, particularly if your hearing loss is new.
Those connections can become easier again with hearing aids. And that can result in improved confidence.
8. You’ll have more energy
If your hearing impairment has been slowly advancing, your brain has probably been working harder. The audio holes that your hearing loss is creating will try to be filled in by your brain because it doesn’t recognize that your ears aren’t functioning. That’s… a lot of work! And so, your brain is under continual strain.
Your brain gets to refresh and unwind when you use a hearing aid. It will have less work to do. Which means you won’t feel so continuously exhausted and drained. You’ll enjoy doing the things that are exciting for you with this enhanced energy.
9. Being more mindful of your surroundings will keep you safer
If your hearing loss is recent, you may not yet have completely adapted. Usually, you would hear approaching traffic before you step out into the street. You’re accustomed to hearing the ambulance siren before you look in the rearview mirror.
You may presume certain situations are safe when, because you’re not aware of your hearing loss, or you’ve neglected it, 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 wiser and less hazardous.
10. You will set a good example!
Change can be hard, and personal growth still harder. You’re admitting that things aren’t functioning effectively now when you get a hearing aid. But you’re improving yourself too.
That’s a positive thing! We should all strive for this type of thing, right? So when you pop in your hearing aids, you’re setting yourself up as a positive example and role model. (It’s fine, you can blush a bit, you deserve it.)
Schedule a hearing test right away
The primary benefit of hearing aids is that you get to enjoy hearing better. That goes without saying. But as you know, there are boatloads of immediate benefits of hearing aids! This top ten list is in no way exhaustive.
Your top ten list might look a little different. No matter what advantages you look forward to the most, the first step is making an appointment with us to have your hearing tested.
