If you have just been diagnosed with hearing loss it is important to understand that you are not alone. There are approximately 48 million people in the US who suffer from hearing loss of all ages. While hearing loss is often a stigma attached to old age, only around 35 percent of people with hearing loss are 65 years of age or older. More than 30 million Americans under the age of 65 have hearing loss.

The important thing is to not ignore this condition as hearing loss can have a host of adverse health effects, including emotional, mental and physical. While most hearing loss is permanent it can be treated rather effectively using hearing aids, which amplify the sounds you struggle with so you can hear them clearly.

While hearing aids have been found to significantly reduce negative symptoms connected to hearing loss study’s find that only 20% of those who can benefit from them have ever tried them. Let's explore why treating your hearing loss is an essential investment for your health now and in the future.

The Dangers of Untreated Hearing Loss

Hearing loss often comes on slowly first reducing only some tones, pitches or consonants. This can make conversation difficult to understand for those affected and only become more difficult over time. As hearing loss progresses it becomes increasingly difficult to connect to your loved ones as your interactions become strained due to miscommunication. This can equally affect your friendships and standing at work, gradually contributing to a lack of self-confidence.

Many people start to develop chronic depression as hearing loss progresses over the years, leading people to self isolate rather than subject themselves to the exhaustion of having to suffer from poor communication. Lack of socialization and depression can have serious effects as they continue being linked to a lack of mobility, activity, even leading to a higher risk of dementia in older patients. In addition, poor health can also affect your ears with adverse health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension having negative effects on hearing. The longer hearing loss goes untreated, the worse symptoms become.

The Benefits of Hearing Aids

With our help, you can be fitted with hearing aids that amplify the sounds you struggle with. This can allow you to hear the people you love and reconnect if hearing loss has started to create a wedge in intimacy. In addition, amplified hearing has been able to improve people’s performance at work, eliminating regular miscommunications, which was greatly affecting their standing at work. Over 60% of people with hearing loss are younger than retirement age. This means that about 30 million Americans are navigating school or work with hearing issues that can create frustrating obstacles. The beauty of hearing aids is that they can make it much easier to participate and keep up with a busy day.

Hearing Aids and a Healthy Lifestyle

Another issue with untreated hearing loss is that it affects your mobility and likeliness to stay active. When you suffer from hearing loss it is more difficult to navigate the world because your hearing helps you locate the proximity, location and speed of sounds. This gives us important information in staying safe when we are out and about, on foot or in the car. People with untreated hearing loss are at a higher risk for falls accidents and hospitalizations. This lack of mobility and decreased socialization can also impact your likeliness to stay active, which in turn makes you vulnerable to many health conditions which can be devastating, as hearing loss progresses. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to let it get to this point.