Even when it’s somewhat minor, hearing loss can have a major impact on your life. The way you connect with friends, coworkers, and loved ones can change significantly. Everyday tasks like going to the supermarket can grow more challenging. But it doesn’t have to have this kind of negative impact on you. On the contrary, a well calibrated set of hearing aids can make a huge difference.
Most individuals normally think of those advantages in a really linear sort of way: Hearing aids help you hear better. And that’s not untrue. But how do hearing aids enhance quality of life? What further advantages will hearing aids create?
Hearing aid’s top ten benefits
We people just love creating top ten lists. 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 here are the top ten benefits of wearing hearing aids.
1. Your relationships will improve
For any relationship to be great, good communication is crucial. But when you have neglected hearing loss, communication can be a real challenge. But when you use hearing aids, you’ll be able to hear the entire conversation without missing anything. You’ll hear everything, you’ll get the whole story, and you’ll be capable of keeping up with the conversation.
This also means you won’t feel left out of the conversation, and you won’t feel resentful that the conversations continue without you. So your general relationships, amongst your friends, co-workers, and family members, will improve. There is a strong link between relationships and hearing aids!
2. You’ll have greater independence
When you have untreated hearing loss, activities like shopping or dining out can be a real ordeal. When you’re unable to hear all that well, communicating with wait staff or cashiers can be tricky. But with a pair of hearing aids, the entire process suddenly becomes much easier. 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 increase your all-around situational awareness (more on that later). When you hear more of the world, you’ll be able to do more without any help, and you’ll be able to do it without as much anxiety.
3. You could make more money
Let’s chuck out a hypothetical: if you’re in a meeting at work and miss a lot of what’s discussed, you might not perform your job adequately. This can result in decreased job prospects and being passed-up for promotions.
With your hearing aids securely in place and working properly, you’ll be able to keep up with meetings, and you won’t be so tired all the time from struggling to hear. This can boost your focus on work and put you in a stronger position to grow your income.
4. You’ll have diminished tinnitus symptoms
Tinnitus is that ringing or buzzing in the ear that the majority of us have experienced occasionally. Tinnitus symptoms will usually be more intense and more often with hearing loss (tinnitus is sometimes louder with hearing loss simply because everything else is quieter, but there might also be other reasons as well).
Many people observe that their tinnitus symptoms decrease when they use a hearing aid. The louder overall outside sound provided by the hearing aid might be, in some cases, simply drowning out the tinnitus symptoms. But we will take relief whenever we can, right?
5. Reduced chance of cognitive decline
Hearing loss and cognitive decline are firmly linked. Your risk of developing cognitive decline can be seriously elevated by disregarding hearing loss, for example. There are many hypotheses about why this might be, but the bottom line is that treating your hearing loss appears to help! That’s why it’s important to be sure you use your hearing aids. You could be helping the health of your brain!
6. You can appreciate music again
When you suffer from hearing loss music is more difficult to hear clearly. That’s because hearing loss tends to impact one wavelength of sound first, then another. Maybe you’re unable to hear low frequencies, for instance. Because of this, the song you once enjoyed might just sound… strange.
You will be able to appreciate music again with your hearing aids filling in the missing sound. You’ll hear all of the frequencies and your music won’t sound so garbled. It can be an amazing relief to hear your favorite band again.
7. Your confidence will grow
Your confidence will be boosted when you can hear better and have more effective interactions. And confidence is a wonderful thing.
This isn’t to say that hearing impairment should take away your confidence. It’s just that, particularly if that hearing loss is recent, you could suddenly find it a challenge to interact with people in the same ways you usually do.
A hearing aid can make those connections easier again. And when that takes place, confidence will improve.
8. Your energy will be increased
If your hearing loss has been slowly advancing, your brain has most likely been working harder. The audio gaps that your hearing loss is producing will try to be filled in by your brain because it doesn’t know that your ears aren’t functioning. That’s… a lot of work! And it means that your brain is working (and strained) almost continuously.
Your brain gets to recharge and unwind when you use a hearing aid. It will have less work to accomplish. Which means you won’t feel so consistently tired and depleted. You’ll enjoy doing the things that are inspiring for you with this enhanced energy.
9. You’ll be safer and more aware of your surroundings
If your hearing loss is recent, you may not yet have fully adapted. Normally, you would hear approaching traffic before you step out into the street. Before you look up into your rearview mirror, you would normally hear the oncoming sirens.
You might assume certain situations are safe when, because you’re unaware of your hearing loss, or you’ve ignored it, they really aren’t. That can put you in some really unsafe situations.
Hearing aids will help regain that lost awareness. Your decision making will be smarter and safer.
10. You will set a good example!
The one thing that can be even more challenging than change is personal growth. You’re admitting that things aren’t working effectively now when you invest in a hearing aid. But you’re also attempting to better 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.
Schedule an appointment for a hearing exam right away
The main advantage of hearing aids is that you get to experience hearing better. That one’s obvious. But as you know, there are boatloads of immediate advantages of hearing aids! This top ten list is only that, one little list of just ten of these benefits.
Your top ten list might look a little different. Scheduling an appointment with us for a hearing assessment is the first step no matter what advantages you look forward to.