If you’re over 50, how many New Year’s resolutions have you made in your lifetime? Take that number and minus the number of resolutions you kept. Let’s face it. While very well-intentioned, New Year’s resolutions are tough to follow through on.
Instead of purchasing another unused gym membership – might we suggest a much cheaper and easier resolution? A resolution that can positively impact your life and is super easy to keep?
This year – resolve to schedule yourself for an annual hearing exam. While it may seem too easy, it’s astonishing to consider all of the ways untreated hearing loss negatively affects your life, and all of the positive ways treating your hearing loss with hearing aids can help.
Resolve to be happier
Did you know that scheduling a hearing exam can be the first step towards becoming happier? You don’t have to reach very far to find study after study that connects untreated hearing loss with issues such as depression, anxiety, and increased stress. Recently, it was found that older people with hearing loss are 2.5 times more likely to develop depression than those without hearing loss.
On the flip side, there is also a plethora of research outlining the precise relationship between happiness and using hearing aids. In 2015, a EuroTrak study aimed at gathering more information about the benefits of hearing aids. When asked how often hearing aids improved quality of life, 98% of US respondents stated “regularly” or “occasionally.” When looking at mental health issues, 4 out of 5 countries reported higher rates of depression amongst non-hearing aid users versus hearing aid users.
Resolve to have better relationships with your spouse and family
Yes, hearing aids are also shown to impact love and family relationships positively. Recently, the Hear-the-World Foundation surveyed about 4,300 people about how their relationships have been affected by hearing aids. It was found that 81% said they were glad their partner had gotten hearing aids, about 70% believed the hearing aids had improved their relationships, and 40% reported getting more attention from their partners. Participants also reported an increased ability to communicate and more meaningful and interpersonal conversations. Feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and isolation were also drastically reduced.
A similar study in Australia found that 84% of people found that conversations with family were more effortless, 70% reported better home lives, one in ten saw improvements in sex life, and not one respondent reported any negative aspects of hearing aid use their daily lives.
It’s easy to see the connection between better relationships and hearing aids. When you can spend your energy listening to your loved ones, rather than straining to hear them – meaningful conversations and relationships are destined to form.
Resolve to increase earning potential at work
Scheduling a hearing exam can help me earn more at work? As crazy as it seems, untreated hearing loss indeed harms earning potential. In 2011, the Better Hearing Institute found that untreated hearing loss cost individuals about $30,000 per year on average due to lost income potential. When hearing aids were used, this income deficit was reduced by a staggering 90-100%.
Also, in the 2015 EuroTrak above study, about 91% of respondents across five countries reported that their hearing aids were “useful” or “extremely useful” in the workplace.
Treating Hearing Loss
As you can see, scheduling a hearing test is the first step towards many vital benefits in your life. If you’re over 50, an annual hearing test is recommended yearly – but it’s never too early to start, especially if you have noticed changes in your hearing.
Start 2022 by making a resolution you can keep and increasing your quality of life in multiple areas. Who knows, you might even use that gym membership after all if you can hear the yoga instructor give instructions or jam out to your favorite music on the elliptical.