How Hearing Loss Affects Our Lives

One of the issues with gradual hearing loss is that roughly 80% of those that suffer from it delay diagnosis and treatment until it becomes a real issue that affects every aspect of their lives. That number, coupled with the fact that hearing loss rates have steadily increased over the last 20 years and you see why audiologists like me are getting the word out with such passion!

Visualize the Extremes

If you’ve got great hearing, then don’t take it from granted. Have it checked regularly and protect it. Envision not really being able to hear anything that people say. Imagine being forced to look more at lips than eyes while they speak to you. Picture how awkward it would feel to have to decide whether or not to invade someone’s personal space so you can hear them. How embarrassing to find out that you raise your voice whenever you address people.

The Common Impacts of Hearing Loss

The reason hearing loss affects every aspect of someone’s life is because it wears down on their psyche and the very makeup of their brain. Yep. We knew that the brain shrinks as we get older, but only recently was it revealed that hearing loss quickens the pace of this shrinkage.So, you’ve got a myriad of downward pressure here. On one hand the hearing loss causing things like stress, depression and anxiety that whittle down on them psychologically. On the other you’ve got the parts of the brain that deal with environmental data processing and speech starting to atrophy and shrink!

And then they get help…Benefits of Treatment

Hearing aids are tiny little technological wonders these days. Our ability to treat hearing loss and tinnitus has increased by a large margin over the last couple decades since I first became an audiologist. But, the benefits of treatment have always been the same.• Contentment: At the end of the day, people are more content with their lives the more their hearing is restored. Their sense of wellbeing starts to come back which influences their work, relationships and even their financial situation.• Productive: total or near-total hearing restoration causes people to seem more awake, energized and willing to get more done during their days and nights. This also leads to a greater sense of satisfaction with life as a whole.• Active: Along with being more productive, pronounced hearing restoration typically causes people to get outside more, which in-turn leads to better overall health. They start getting more involved with the world around them.• Healthier: This is a given. Improved hearing has a direct correlation to better health. People with better hearing visit the hospital less, suffer from hearing-loss related injuries less and on and on.• Independence: Since they can hear better, they can handle themselves better and gain more independence which reinforces all the positivity from restored hearing loss.

Conclusion: Don’t be Afraid to Do or Say Something

Get your hearing checked by the Atlanta Hearing Doctor by scheduling a consultation with Dr. Wynens. And, if you know someone or are close to someone that you know is dealing with hearing loss, help them do the same. Help them see how much benefit they’ll get and how much better they’ll feel!