There have been some alarming and intriguing studies recently that connect hearing health with your cognitive abilities, which govern your motor skills and memory.
Many of these studies emphasize that untreated hearing loss can lead to a decline in your cognitive abilities, but the key word here is untreated.
Each year, we prioritize getting our eyes tested, our teeth cleaned, and our physical health checked out – why not our hearing as well?
Recently, I read about a study that came out in January, which brings some silver lining: Hearing aids may help you live longer when worn consistently.
With the help of professional hearing care, you could potentially live significantly longer. But how?
10,000 Participants, One Hopeful Conclusion
This study, taken on by Dr. Janet Choi from the University of Southern California, sought to understand how regular hearing aid wear affected almost 10,000 participants with hearing loss challenges – and her findings were staggering.
The group of patients that wore hearing aids regularly had a 24% lower risk of premature mortality compared to the group of patients that didn’t wear hearing aids at all.
Untreated hearing loss has long been linked to cognitive decline, balance disorders, social isolation, harmful falls, and frailty of the body. Professional hearing care could help alleviate some of these risks.
How Do Hearing Aids Increase My Lifespan?
Dr. Choi emphasizes in her study that hearing aids are not the one solution to living a longer life, but that people with a hearing loss that wear their hearing aids consistently will reap the benefits of a longer lifespan.
%
Lower risk of premature mortality compared to the group of patients that didn’t wear hearing aids at all
Hearing loss happens gradually, over time passing, and people often don’t realize they’re having troubles hearing until they become an issue in daily life. Dr. Choi, a hearing aid wearer herself, believes wholeheartedly in the benefits of hearing care but found that just 12% of her participants regularly wore their hearing aids outside of the study.
Missing parts of conversation, feeling isolated in busy rooms, and needing repetition from loved ones gets frustrating and lonely. However, many people still shy away from hearing aids out of fear of looking old, thinking of their parents or grandparents with their clunky, awkward hearing aids.
Thankfully, advanced hearing aid technology has come far from those stigmatized images of hearing aids. Some models are even inserted deep into your ear canal, so nobody can see them at all.
%
Participants regularly wore their hearing aids outside of the study.
Even just one comprehensive hearing assessment could help investigate possible causes for your hearing challenges, whether it be from genetic likelihood, infection, noise exposure, or even a buildup of earwax.
Hearing loss affects almost 38 million American adults. However, some of those people don’t seek out help for their hearing loss challenges until almost a decade after realizing them.
With the benefits clear from Dr. Choi’s study and more, why not get your hearing looked at and see (or hear) the positives sooner rather than later?
How Utah Ear Institute Can Help You
If you or a loved one is concerned about your hearing, our team of professional hearing care specialists is ready to help. No matter what you need out of hearing care, we’ll work with you to find the best solution for your needs.
For questions about what we can do for you, or to alleviate concerns about your unique situation, please feel free to request a callback.
Alternatively, you can call us at (801)-298-4327.