Benefits of hearing aids

If you're finding yourself on the fence about wearing hearing aids, you're not alone. Hearing loss is incredibly common and on average, it takes people with hearing loss between five and seven years to take the first step toward hearing solutions and seek out their local hearing clinic. That is seven years of misunderstandings, frustration and asking people to repeat themselves.

Many people delay asking for help, and the reasons are numerous. One often-heard excuse is stigma and the belief that hearing aids indicate old age or weakness. Hearing aids can benefit you in a vast number of ways!

Several studies have linked untreated hearing loss to an increased risk of developing dementia and reduced cognitive function. The reduction in cognitive functioning occurs when untreated hearing loss causes the portion of your brain responsible for hearing to atrophy (size reduction). Researchers have found that hearing aids help decrease atrophy while increasing your hearing ability.

• Medscape - How Does Hearing Loss Affect the Brain?
• John Hopkins Medicine - The Hidden Risks of Hearing Loss

A report published by the Lancet Commission suggests that hearing loss is a significant modifiable risk factor against dementia. It details that moderate, untreated hearing impairment can increase dementia risk up to three times. Learn more.

People with hearing loss may find it challenging to live independently. Activities like driving, crossing the road and encountering hazards become dangerous if you cannot hear very well. You might find that you become reliant on others to drive you around or that people close to you stop allowing you to do things for yourself. By wearing a hearing aid, you reclaim your independence. Not only are you able to drive again, but you become aware of hazards earlier, and you can recognise where danger is coming from more reliably.