Do you struggle to hear people in your life? It may seem you are having to ask people to repeat themselves more often than not, and while you may attribute it to having background noise or an individual who mumbles, it’s more likely it is hearing loss.
It is common to be in denial of hearing loss. While this condition is common, especially as we age, it often symbolizes old age or admitting a disability. It is important to fight the stigma often held by those with hearing loss, because on the other side is action. Hearing loss starts in the ears but affects many aspects of your life in a negative manner. While hearing loss is most often permanent, it is very much treatable.
Hearing aids amplify the specific sounds specific to your hearing loss so you can hear more clearly again. You will find that overtime you will find yourself asking less often for people to repeat themselves and increase confidence and enjoyment when socializing. Hearing aids have the potential to increase happiness, health, wealth, and overall quality of life.
Increased Happiness
Hearing loss affects self-esteem, confidence, and mood. When you struggle to hear socialization often changes from a replenishing and nourishing practice to one of anxiety and dread. It is exhausting to struggle to hear day after day and often people with untreated hearing loss choose to isolate, leading to greater depression. However, with hearing aids you can feel confident again while socializing. Rifts that may have formed with family and your significant other can start to heal as you are able to connect through conversation with ease again.
Increased Health
Hearing loss is a communication issue, but its effects span across every aspect of your health. Social isolation and depression caused by untreated hearing loss has the potential to affect cognitive functioning, especially as you are put in less diverse situations. Researchers have found strong connections suggesting that untreated hearing loss can increase the risk greatly of developing dementia, if ignored. Dementia is a devastating set of neurodegenerative diseases which devastates individuals and their families as the ability to remember and complete daily tasks declines. Studies have found that the use of hearing aids daily can help prevent the likelihood of dementia by 75%.
However, the impact on health doesn’t just stop at cognitive functioning. Those with hearing loss suffer from lack of confidence and loss of independence. An individual with untreated hearing loss may be less likely to venture out to a new location. This ultimately impedes mobility and physical activity which is essential to maintaining health.
Often people avoid exercise if it involves leaving the home because it is difficult to navigate the world with limited hearing. It is also a safety issue. Those with untreated hearing loss are at a higher risk of accidents, falls and hospitalizations due to loss of audio cues which can provide safety cues. They may be less aware of a vehicle approaching from behind or warning.
The beauty of hearing aids is that they improve a sense of independence and mobility, which allows people to reconnect with sports, exercise, and hobbies they may have enjoyed in the past. It may also increase a sense of confidence which encourages new endeavors. Increased mobility and socialization, increases mood, mental health and physical health.
Increased Wealth
The Better Hearing Institute reports that lifetime earnings for those with untreated hearing loss average 50 to 70% less than their typical-hearing peers in the U.S. They revealed that hearing loss has been shown to negatively impact household income up to $12,000 per year, depending on the degree of hearing loss. When you struggle to hear your co-workers and employers, they slowly overtime come to rely on you less. Misunderstandings add up and ultimately impact your career. However, treating your hearing loss with hearing aids can protect your career earnings by 75% on average.
Investing In Your Future
Hearing aids are certainly an investment. They are often not covered by insurance and the price tag can be daunting. Therefore it is important to focus on the bigger picture. Avoiding hearing issues stands to cause you to lose far more money in the form of earnings than a set of hearing aids. Then there are the less commodifiable aspects of life to consider. Hippieness and heath are priceless when compared to the investment of hearing aids. The first step is to schedule an appointment for a hearing exam today and invest in your quality of life now!