With the start of the New Year comes the traditions of creating resolutions for a fresh start. What ever your resolutions for the new years is this year make it a priority to make sure your health is in order. Perhaps this holiday season you found your self asking your friends and family to repeat themselves more often than in the past? Perhaps people complained that you had the television volume turned up too loud?
This is not an uncommon experience that indicates you may be living with hearing loss. In fact, there are 48 million people throughout the U.S. suffering from hearing loss making it the third most common ongoing condition for people over 60. Of those people, only 20 percent who can benefit from the use of hearing aids actually are wearing them.
Dangers of untreated hearing loss
It turns out, living with untreated hearing loss can do more damage than originally thought and not only that – those who seek treatment see improvements in all aspects of their lives. Individuals who choose to treat their hearing loss with hearing aids are known to have better overall health, professional success and emotional well-being than those who don’t. The more research is done, the clearer it becomes that hearing loss is a condition you can not afford to put off or ignore. Hearing aids have proven to be the best treatment for hearing loss. It’s just amazing what these small machines can help you achieve.
Improved Mental Health
Hearing loss can affect many aspects of life, and this becomes apparent in social contexts. Asking someone to repeat what he or she said twice or three times may be a recipe for feeling self-conscious. People with hearing loss that struggle to listen in noisy environments like parties and concerts may find themselves isolated despite being in a room filled with people.
A 2014 study by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders found that hearing-impaired individuals under the age of 70 were more likely to experience moderate to severe depression compared to people who did not experience hearing loss. There has been substantial evidence showing that hearing loss can also play a hand in dementia as well. A 2011 John Hopkins study shows that even a mild case of hearing loss can increase your risk of developing dementia later on.
Improved Cognitive Health
A new study has concluded that people who wear hearing aids for age-related hearing problems maintain better brain function over time than those who do not. A new study has concluded that people who wear a hearing aid for age-related hearing problems maintain better brain function over time than those who are not wearing hearing aids
Improved Physical Health and Balance
A recent study found that for Americans 65 and older, hearing loss had a greater impact on life than cardiac disease, stroke, osteoporosis, sciatica, cancer, and many other common conditions. Individuals with untreated hearing loss are three times more likely to suffer physical injuries, specifically falls.
Professional Success
Hearing aid wearers earn significantly more than non-wearers with hearing loss, who are much more likely to be unemployed, according to a recent report. Around 64% of people with hearing loss, working age are in full or part-time employment, compared with around 77% of the general population, according to the report. The employment rate of people with hearing loss is thus approximately 83% of that of the hearing population. Untreated hearing loss leads to reduced job performance and less monetary compensation.
Improved Relationships
Don’t be another statistic when it comes to hearing loss and relationship problems. Statistics show that many people who need hearing aids don’t wear them. A recent study revealed that 35% of participants with hearing loss said that their relationship with their significant other suffered the most out of all relationships. As social situations become fun again, independence is restored and communication is meshing well, the result is often increased intimacy!
New Years, New Ears!
With so many benefits offered by hearing aids, how could you go another moment not knowing for sure if you have hearing loss? Use this New Year as a resolution to know for sure if you are living with hearing loss and make a change. Contact us at Suncoast Audiology to set up a hearing test in 2020!