With the number of studies that have been published in recent years that connect untreated hearing loss to a myriad of adverse effects on your mental and physical health, you may be wondering if you should get your hearing tested. My answer? Yes!
Each year, we make sure to get our teeth cleaned, our eyesight checked, and our physical health evaluated, but when was your last hearing test?
Better hearing has been linked to an improved sense of balance, better memory, and avoiding social isolation and dementia. Plus, according to a new study that was published this past January, hearing aids can help you live longer when used correctly.
This study, taken on by lead researcher Dr. Janet Choi from the University of Southern California, sought to understand how regular use of hearing aids affected almost 10,000 participants who had some level of hearing loss challenge.
Dr. Choi’s study reveals that out of her two groups of participants, the group that wore their hearing aids regularly had a 24 percent lower risk of premature mortality versus the group that didn’t wear hearing aids at all.
With the help of professional hearing care and assistive technology like hearing aids, you could continue to hear the life you love for far longer.
The Fine Print
Of course, Dr. Choi’s study emphasizes that hearing aids alone are not the one solution to an increased lifespan or avoiding the negative effects on other parts of your body. She clarifies that people with hearing loss challenges who wear their hearing aids consistently will reap the benefits she found.
Some individuals don’t seek out hearing care until up to a decade after they’ve found themselves struggling to hear—and even after getting their prescription hearing aids, some may never fully adapt to wearing them every day to help their hearing. As a result, those individuals don’t see the benefits of hearing care in their lives, and they wonder if it was worth it at all.
Dr. Choi, a hearing aid wearer herself, hopes that her study will encourage more people to seek out hearing care and hearing aids where needed. While there are multiple negative stigmas attached to hearing aids, especially surrounding getting older and appearing old, those stigmas are outdated—and slowly changing.
I myself have seen many more young people wearing hearing aids, regardless of the stigmas, because they recognize the benefits of hearing care and have sought out solutions for their hearing loss challenges. It’s amazing to see so many people addressing hearing challenges so young!
These days, advanced hearing aid technology has come very far past the clunky, awkward devices of old. Many models of hearing aids are almost entirely invisible, so nobody can tell you’re wearing one.
How Alaska Hearing & Tinnitus Center Can Help
Our hearing care professionals are ready to assist you with any and all hearing loss challenges.
No matter what you need out of your hearing care, we’re here to provide all we can to make sure you can get back to the conversations you’ve been missing.
Please feel free to request a callback if you have questions or concerns about hearing care or would like advice on what to do with your unique situation.
Alternatively, you can call our office during working hours at (907) 522-4357.