Suffering from a hearing impairment can be an emotionally and physically challenging situation. It can have adverse effects on your mental and physical health, vocational productivity, and interpersonal relationships. Treating your hearing loss with hearing aids not only restores your hearing; it also helps you regain an active lifestyle and improve your quality of life.
A recent study from the National Council on the Aging found that adults aged fifty years and above with untreated hearing loss had an increased likelihood of depression and anxiety when compared to older adults that used hearing aids.
Older adults who treated their hearing loss with hearing aids reported a significant decrease (a 36% reduction) in depressive symptoms. Adults with untreated hearing loss were found to exert increased amounts of energy to retain simple information and engage in everyday conversations.
Participants with hearing loss and normal hearing were both examined on their capability to utilize a computer mouse and successfully identify a moving target depicted on the computer screen. In addition they were also tested on their memory recall by identifying all the words they could remember from a selection of fifteen words that were read aloud to them. The results indicated that those with hearing loss had a decreased accuracy rate of the above tasks when compared with participants without hearing loss. This was found to be a result of the constant need for hearing impaired participants to concentrate on the act of hearing rather than the task at hand.
Hearing loss also has an adverse effect on personal relationships. Hearing impaired individuals tend to become socially withdrawn and feel more isolated, depression, and anxious. This can lead to frustration, irritation, and despair in their partners and other family members.
A study conducted by the Better Hearing Institute reported that vocational relationships can also deteriorate due to hearing loss. Employees with hearing loss often feel increased amounts of stress and a sense of incompetency that can reduce their productivity at work. Employees with severe hearing loss were found to have a $1200 loss of income annually compared to those with mild hearing damage.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reported that less than one in five hearing impaired people in America that need hearing aids actually uses them. Research indicates that using hearing aids can significantly increase the user’s general quality and satisfaction of life in terms of social, emotional, physical and vocational health.
Hearing aids were also found to improve family relationships, as per the National Council on Aging. Nine out of ten people using hearing aids were found to have a significant improvement in their standard of living and social lives. If you or your loved one can benefit from wearing hearing aids, consult a hearing care professional today.