Hearing aids might actually help you live longer.
That’s a statement that you may have to read again, because it doesn’t fit most people’s conception of hearing aids. Imagine living longer thanks to hearing aids.
Scientific studies show that your balance and cognitive health are connected to your hearing. We have encountered another study, by Dr. Janet Choi from the University of Southern California, whose research indicates that those who regularly use hearing aids have a 24 percent lower risk of mortality.
As a means of encouraging people in East Tennessee to make regular hearing checks a part of your preventative health regimen, like eye tests, dental checkups, and annual physicals, we want to take a closer look at what Dr. Choi discovered.
Hearing Aids Extend Your Life Expectancy
While hearing aids are not the only means to living longer, Dr. Choi’s study makes a comparison between individuals with hearing loss who wear their hearing aids on a day-to-day basis and those with hearing loss who do not wear hearing aids.
In addition to a 24 percent lower risk of mortality for those who wear their hearing aids regularly, Dr. Choi’s study reveals something even more shocking. Only 12 percent of her study participants wore their hearing aids regularly when not participating in the study.
Hearing loss is an invisible health issue. It develops over time at a slow pace, so most people don’t recognize that they are struggling. So, people put off having their hearing tested or using hearing aids because their hearing challenges are not significantly disrupting their lifestyle.
The stigmas attached to hearing aids are among the reasons people hesitate when it comes to wearing hearing aids. Those stigmas are well out of date; today’s advanced digital technology has allowed for smaller, lighter weight, and more powerful hearing aids.
However, if people have hearing aids, why aren’t they wearing them? Many with hearing aids do not make the effort to adapt to using them every day.
In a nutshell, it is not the level of technology you put into your ears, but the level of support and encouragement you have available through professional hearing care that makes the biggest difference.
What Is the Role of Professional Hearing Care?
Ongoing professional hearing care includes counseling, monitoring, troubleshooting, maintenance, and regular hearing assessments that help our patients adapt to daily wearing and encourage them to continue with it. Consequently, we may be helping you live longer.
ENT Consultants of East Tennessee provide advanced, prescription-level hearing aids that are properly programmed and maintained to help you communicate better as well as decrease your risk of mortality by lowering your risk of cognitive decline and balance-related falls while limiting the impact of negative mental and physical health conditions.
However, it is not the technology that makes the difference, it is how that technology is applied to your lifestyle. We begin your professional hearing care with a comprehensive hearing assessment that looks at all of the possible causes for your hearing loss challenges, such as your family history, infections, exposure to noise, and even earwax buildup.
Using the data gathered during testing, we develop hearing care solutions that specifically address your unique hearing challenges, as well as your lifestyle and personal preferences, so that you are onboard and committed to achieving your better hearing goals.
We’re about educating you about your hearing and hearing aids while providing the support necessary to ensure that you will continue to reap the benefits your hearing aids provide, including longer life.
Is Better Hearing Something You’re Concerned About?
Could hearing aids and professional hearing care be the solution to a more independent lifestyle, a better quality of life, and a longer life? That depends on you.
If better hearing is something you’re concerned about, then it makes sense to take a deeper look into whether hearing aids would be a worthy investment into better overall health. Take the first step by scheduling a comprehensive hearing assessment at ENT Consultants of East Tennessee today.
No matter where you live in East Tennessee, you can contact us online or call (865) 693-6065 for more information or to schedule your hearing assessment.
