A miracle cure that can help extend your lifespan is something pretty much everyone would want. In fact, a brief internet search will probably return thousands of such miracle cures (if not more), each promising to help you have a longer life if you employ one simple trick. The vast majority of these alleged cures have no medical foundation and are not supported by the healthcare community.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to positively impact your longevity. For example, eating a healthy diet (specifically one low in sodium and saturated fats) or quitting smoking can significantly affect your expected lifespan.
The same is true of managing hearing loss by using hearing aids. That’s in line with a recent study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, a multidisciplinary journal devoted to healthy aging. So, will wearing hearing aids to treat hearing loss help increase longevity? There’s a strong possibility that it will according to this research.
Is hearing loss a health risk?
The connection between your hearing health and your overall wellness is not necessarily new to researchers. The fact that neglected hearing loss can substantially increase your chances of experiencing dementia is well established, for example.
Many individuals, however, are unaware of these risks. They believe that hearing loss will only impact one aspect of their lives and is a mere nuisance. But when left untreated, hearing loss can pose bigger health concerns than a simple inconvenience.
Is there a connection between hearing aids and longevity?
Typically, wearing hearing aids as much as possible will be the primary way to manage hearing loss. So does this mean that you can decrease your risk of early death by using hearing aids? According to this most recent study, quite possibly. There is a 24% reduction in mortality risk for people with hearing loss who regularly use hearing aids, as revealed by this study. In other words, the individuals observed in the study who wore hearing aids tended to live longer.
Hearing aid advantages
The research published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity isn’t necessarily conclusive proof that hearing aids will help you have a longer life (although the study does strongly suggest a relationship). But we already have a large body of evidence about the many benefits of using hearing aids and this just adds to that body.
- You can prevent accidents and injuries by being more conscious of your environment.
- Social situations can become considerably easier. This can limit the amount of social solitude you feel, increasing your overall mental wellness.
- Hearing aids can help you enjoy everyday moments with friends and family, from going out to lunch with colleagues to asking your grandkids about their school day.
- Cognition can be improved by wearing hearing aids. Over time, your brain will be healthier and less tired from struggling to hear.
These are improvements to your quality of life that you’ll feel each time you wear your hearing aids. These are all practical reasons to use hearing aids to manage your hearing loss.
Your overall health and well-being rely heavily on healthy hearing
The more we discover about the relationships between hearing loss and the rest of your body, the more scientists have come to recognize that your hearing is an exceptionally important part of your overall health and wellness. Your risk of early mortality can be reduced by managing any hearing loss you might have with hearing aids.
If you suspect that you might have some level of hearing loss, it’s time to call us for a consultation.