Because of the global pandemic, most of our time is now spent at home. If you wear hearing aids, you understand how helpful they can be in public places such as crowded restaurants or convention centers. But did you know they play an equally important role in your everyday life at home too?
Hearing aids allow you to connect with other devices, receive emergency alert notifications and activate your brain. This is why hearing experts recommend wearing your hearing aids every day, even when you are spending significantly more time stuck at home.
Hearing Aids Help Your Brain
Your brain needs to be constantly working in order to stay healthy. With hearing loss, the part of your brain that processes sound goes unused. Over time, this can lead to problems understanding speech and language. In addition, in order to make up for key pieces of missing information usually obtained from sound, your brain has to rely on other senses to fill in the gaps. This additional work can lead to mental fatigue.
A study conducted by Dr. Frank Lin at Johns Hopkins determined that untreated hearing loss is linked to an increased risk of dementia. The researchers followed 639 adults for nearly 12 years. Participants with mild hearing loss saw their risk of developing dementia double. The risk for those with moderate hearing loss tripled, and those with severe hearing loss were five times more likely to develop the disorder.
In addition to helping prevent dementia, hearing aids give you access to incidental sounds, keeping your brain active when you are not exposed to direct communication. One study found that incidental sounds are critical to early childhood development. Researchers recommend turning off the noise management features on pediatric hearing aids in order to make sure they have access to as many sounds as possible.
Hearing Aids Keep You Safe
Being able to hear emergency alerting devices throughout your home such as smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors is important for your safety.
There are a number of little sounds around your house that you would be unable to hear without the help of your hearing devices. The clicking of a lightbulb about to go out or the splintering of wood from a chair about to break are quiet but important warning signs that only those wearing their hearing aids would notice.
Hearing Aids Connect You
Bluetooth enabled hearing aids are able to wirelessly connect to any number of devices around your home, including your smartphone, television, tablet and computer. Sound can be streamed directly from these devices into your hearing aids, eliminating distracting background noise.
While nothing beats an in-person conversation, having a seamless video call with those you love can help you stay connected during these challenging times.
To learn more about the benefits of hearing aids or to schedule an appointment with your hearing expert, contact Gulf Coast Audiology today.