You probably know that a hearing aid can improve your ability to hear, but did you also know it can keep you safe? Although a hearing aid may take some getting used to, it can improve your overall quality of life. Now, current research is suggesting that hearing aids may keep seniors out of the hospital. According to the study, seniors who use their hearing aid are less likely to endure emergency room visits or spend time in the hospital. The research team also found that the seniors in the study who used their hearing aids were more inclined to see a doctor than those who are not using their hearing aids. Hearing aids improve your total health and can keep you out of trouble. If you are a senior, now is a great time to have your hearing checked. Your safety may depend on it.
Although a hearing loss can have significant repercussions such as increased emergency room visits and hospital stays, only 20 percent of seniors with a hearing loss use a hearing aid. The reasons given are many and include:
Although these reasons are sound, they do not outweigh the benefits associated with using a hearing aid. Furthermore, these reasons are not more important than a senior’s safety. Hearing aids not only improve a senior’s impaired hearing, but they also promote balance and alertness.
When the brain is forced to expend extra energy to hear, it decreases one’s ability to focus on their balance and gait. Research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that people with a mild hearing loss have a higher likelihood of having falls than those who do not have a hearing loss. Balance and gait place a significant demand on the brain as does the impaired hearing. A hearing aid lessens the need caused by inadequate hearing to allow the user to properly focus on balance and gait thereby reducing the danger of falls.
Without question, the most important way a hearing aid can help a senior or anyone for that matter is to increase their alertness to the sounds of danger. An oncoming car, an oven timer going off, an emergency alarm, the list is endless. Without one’s senses fully intact, these everyday occurrences can quickly become hazardous situations. A hearing aid has the potential to save a life just by making hearing the sounds possible.
If you are neglecting to get a hearing exam or wearing hearing aids, now is the time to change your thinking. There are many reasons for wearing a hearing aid, and your safety should rank right near the top of the list. Schedule a consultation with a hearing healthcare professional today for a hearing exam. It will be one of the most important decisions you can make for your hearing as well as your safety.