Everyone loves the idea of a miracle cure that helps you live longer. In fact, a brief internet search will probably return thousands of such miracle cures (if not more), each promising to help you live longer if you employ one simple trick. The healthcare community doesn’t endorse most of these supposed cures as they have no real medical basis.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that nothing you do can positively impact your lifespan. For example, eating a healthy diet (particularly one low in sodium and saturated fats) or quitting smoking can substantially affect your expected lifespan.
The same is true of treating hearing loss by wearing hearing aids. And a multidisciplinary journal that centers around healthy aging, called The Lancet Healthy Longevity, has recently released research that reinforces this. So, can hearing aids help you have a longer life? According to this study, it’s a distinct possibility.
Is hearing loss a health threat?
Researchers have been aware of the link between general wellness and hearing health for quite a while. For example, it has been well established that neglected hearing loss can significantly raise your risk of cognitive decline later in life.
Many people, however, are not aware of these risks. They think that hearing loss will only impact one facet of their lives and is a mere inconvenience. But the truth is that hearing loss is more than a simple nuisance, particularly when neglected.
The connection between longevity and hearing loss
In the majority of instances, treatment for hearing loss involves wearing hearing aids as often as possible. In this context, do hearing aids reduce the risk of early death? According to this most recent study, quite possibly. The study found that day-to-day hearing aid use was linked to a 24% reduction in mortality risk. In other words, the people observed in the study who wore hearing aids had a tendency to live longer.
The benefits of hearing aids
The research published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity is not necessarily conclusive proof that hearing aids will help you live longer (though the study does strongly suggest a connection). But we already have a large body of evidence about the many advantages of using hearing aids and this just adds to that body.
- From enjoying caring moments with your grandchildren to taking part in a business dinner, everyday situations with friends, family, and colleagues will be simplified.
- Social situations can become substantially easier. This can reduce the degree of social isolation you feel, increasing your overall mental health.
- You can prevent accidents and injuries by being more conscious of your surroundings.
- Cognition can be increased by using 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 treat your hearing loss.
Hearing is an important part of your health and wellness
Scientists have recognized that the health of your hearing plays a major role in your overall wellness. If you have hearing loss, getting diagnosed and wearing hearing aids can substantially diminish your early mortality risks.
If you suspect that you might have some amount of hearing loss, it’s time to give us a call for a consultation.