Time to Read: 5 minutes
One of the complaints we hear from some first time hearing aid wearers is they don't want to feel old.
It's a very common complaint. In fact, according to one study, many adults wait seven years between first noticing hearing loss to getting hearing aids.
Seven years of complaints that people mumble, missing out on conversations, not understanding young members of the family, badgered over the volume of the TV!
But what if I told you that the opposite is true?
That getting hearing aids as soon as you are diagnosed with an aidable hearing loss actually keeps you young!
Let's look at the reasons why:
Hearing aids keep your brain active
There are two parts to your hearing. Your ears pick up the sound, like a microphone, and sends the signal to your brain which makes sense of what is hearing.
It is actually your brain that does the hearing and listening.
When it comes to understanding speech, your brain relies on the high frequency consonants to differentiate between words with 'soft' sounds like 'heat', 'feet', 'seat'.
The most common type of hearing loss affects those high frequencies first. If your brain is not hearing those frequencies, you're more likely to mishear conversations or be forced to say 'pardon' more often.
Your brain might try to adapt by focusing on visual queues for context but it is still missing out on vital stimulation it needs.
If your brain is having to work harder to understand conversation, you might find that you're lagging a second or so behind everyone else, making dynamic discussions hard to follow.
Nothing makes you feel older than having people stop and explain things that you might have caught on your own, if only you had your very best hearing.
Worse than that, the longer you go without that stimulation, the risk increases that the part of the brain that deals with sound will atrophy. New research links that part of the brain with the storage of memory.
And there is a growing body of evidence that shows a strong link between untreated hearing loss, depression, social isolation and dementia.
How is that for 'feeling old'?
Wearing hearing aids keeps your mind nimble and better able to participate in conversations which gives you better enjoyment in life and increases your confidence.
The great news is, the earlier you start wearing hearing aids, the better your brain gets at processing sounds and speech. The longer you leave it, the harder it is for the brain to regain that skill.
Read more:
- Why it’s so important your hearing aids are brain-friendly
- Do you have selective hearing?
- The Ear Hears, the Brain Listens
- Hearing Loss and the aging brain
- Why achieving better hearing through hearing aids can help prevent dementia
- How hearing loss affects memory and thinking
- Brain training and hearing
- Hearing Loss: use it or lose it
- Hearing loss and memory loss
Hearing Aids can help you enjoy sports and hobbies more
Physical activity is one of the very best things you can do to keep yourself feeling young and vital.
Getting out and about safely and confidently, knowing you can hear the world around you is an empowering way to take charge of your health and fitness. Hearing aids with telecoil means you can travel by plane or train confidently without the worry about missing important announcements.
There is nothing more youthful and vital than someone approaching life with confidence and verve.
As you can see, using hearing aids when you need them, keeps you looking and feeling young. We’ve heard it said that hearing aids are like a facelift for your ears.
So, why do people resist getting hearing aids when the benefits are obvious?
Vanity, thy name is… man?
We hate to say it, but vanity plays a big part for some people. In our experience more men than women are quick to use that excuse for not wanting to improve their hearing.
But here’s the thing - modern hearing aids are virtually invisible
Forget about what you think you know about what hearing aids look like. Even the biggest of today’s hearing aids - the ones which fit behind the ears - are pretty much impossible to see and there are other types of aids which are invisible in the ear canal.
Value Hearing’s expert clinicians can run through all the different types of hearing aids and recommend the right ones for your very specific ears and type of hearing loss.
Modern hearing aids can help you connect better to the world. They are sophisticated little computers.
Many of them have Bluetooth capabilities which let you take phone calls or listen to your favourite music directly into your ears without headphones. Some of them have features that your grandchildren will envy including hearing aids that can monitor your health and even translate foreign languages.
We have some great articles here on how your hearing is linked to your overall health.
- Hearing Health and Exercise
- Health issues that may affect your hearing
- Food, Your Ears and Good Hearing
- Hearing loss and anxiety
- Hearing and stress
- Maintaining Health and Well-Being
So, knowing all of this, shouldn't you be making an appointment to have a free hearing screening to make sure your hearing is the best it can be?
