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Benefits of Treating Hearing Loss
When you treat your hearing loss, the benefits extend far beyond better hearing.
In fact, hearing loss treatment has been found to benefit patients emotionally, socially, mentally, and physically. At Absolute Audio, we are thankful each and every day for being in the line of work that we are. We know that we have an opportunity to make a profound impact on not only the lives of our patients, but the lives of their families, friends and coworkers as well.
Treating Hearing Loss Benefits our Relationships
Many times, people choose to seek treatment for their hearing loss because they feel it is having a negative impact on their relationships with their spouses, families and friends. Perhaps you have begun avoiding social situations in noisy environments such as backyard barbecues or happy hours. Maybe your family members have been complaining that you aren’t “listening” to them, when in actuality you simply cannot hear them. We all know that communication is key to relationships, so when this is hindered by an inability to hear - it can take a toll on our relationships.
Fortunately, hearing aids have a profoundly positive impact on our social relationships. In fact, after reviewing multiple peer-reviewed papers on the benefits of using hearing aids in Europe, Australia and the United States, social relationships were by far the most positively impacted factor. It’s simple to see why. Speech understanding is difficult with untreated hearing loss, and it is extremely difficult to hold meaningful conversations when you cannot understand what your communication partner is saying.
Treating Hearing Loss Benefits our Cognitive Health
Currently, there are about 50 million people throughout the world who live with dementia disorders such as Alzheimer’s. A new person is diagnosed with the disease every three minutes. It is important that we all educate ourselves on preventative measures we can take against dementia, as there is not yet a cure for the disease.
In the last decade or so, a growing body of research has indicated that dementia is strongly correlated with untreated hearing loss. One of the most well-known studies came out of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2011. This study found that over an 18-year period, participants with mild hearing loss were twice as likely to have developed dementia than their peers without hearing loss. For those with severe hearing loss, the risk increased dramatically, with this group being five times more likely to have developed the disease. These results held true even after being normalized for other factors such as overall health, smoking habits, age and socioeconomic status.
Luckily, hearing aids have been shown to significantly slow cognitive decline in older adults. Even better news, hearing aids have been found to slow cognitive decline after only a few short months of use.
Treating Hearing Loss Benefits our Overall Health & Happiness
Hearing loss can also take a toll on our health and happiness as well. People with untreated hearing loss are more likely to experience slips and falls - that often cause severe injury or even disability.
With hearing aid use, these issues are alleviated. When you have better use of your hearing, you are more likely to notice auditory cues that there may be a danger nearby, and to take caution. Treating hearing loss also helps us to stay safe at home. With hearing loss, a person may be unable to hear quiet - but important - noises at home, such as an over timer. Hearing aids also help us to stay safer on the roads, as we are better able to hear any auditory cue that may be near us, such as a horn honking or an ambulance approaching.
Those with untreated hearing loss are also more likely to experience depression and social isolation. In fact, a recent study by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) found that about 11% of participants in the study who had untreated hearing loss experienced depression, versus only 5% of the group with normal hearing.
Hearing aids have also been shown to alleviate feelings of depression in wearers, and increase overall quality of life in every area. When people use hearing aids, they are more likely to interact with others and partake in social situations.