Everybody loves the idea of a miracle cure that helps you live longer. In fact, a quick 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 healthcare community doesn’t back the vast majority of these supposed cures as they have no real medical basis.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to positively impact your longevity. Your expected lifespan can be positively affected by quitting smoking and eating a healthy diet.
Utilizing hearing aids to treat hearing loss is also in this group. That’s according to a recent study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, a multidisciplinary journal committed to healthy aging. So, will wearing hearing aids to treat hearing loss help enhance longevity? According to this research, it’s a distinct possibility.
Does hearing loss pose a risk to your health?
The relationship between your hearing health and your overall wellness is not necessarily new to researchers. The fact that neglected hearing loss can considerably increase your risk of developing dementia is well established, for example.
These risks, however, are generally unknown by most individuals. They think that hearing loss will only influence 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?
In the majority of instances, treatment for hearing loss means wearing hearing aids as often as possible. So does this mean that you can decrease your risk of early death by wearing hearing aids? There is certainly a possibility, according to this latest research, that hearing aids can reduce your risk of early death. The study found that regular hearing aid use was linked to a 24% decrease in mortality risk. In other words, the individuals observed in the study who wore hearing aids tended to live longer.
Hearing aid benefits
The research published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity isn’t exactly conclusive proof that hearing aids will help you have a longer life (though the study does strongly suggest a connection). 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 mindful of your surroundings.
- Hearing aids can help you enjoy day-to-day moments with friends and family, from going out to eat with colleagues to asking your grandchildren about their school day.
- Cognition can be increased by wearing hearing aids. Over time, your brain will be healthier and less tired from straining to hear.
- Social situations can become substantially easier. This can limit the amount of social solitude you feel, improving your overall mental health.
These are improvements to your quality of life that you’ll feel every time you wear your hearing aids. These are all great reasons to use hearing aids to manage your hearing loss.
Hearing is a major part of your health and wellness
The more we learn about the links between hearing loss and the rest of your body, the more scientists have come to recognize that your hearing is an exceptionally significant part of your total health and wellness. Your risk of early mortality can be reduced by managing any hearing loss you may have with hearing aids.
Seeing a hearing specialist can help you determine whether you have hearing loss and the best way to manage it.