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 thanks to one simple trick. Pretty much all of these so-called cures have no medical basis and are not supported by the healthcare community.
But there are some legit things you can do to help you achieve a longer lifespan. For instance, eating a healthy diet (particularly one low in sodium and saturated fats) or quitting smoking can substantially affect your expected lifespan.
Utilizing hearing aids to treat hearing loss is also in this category. And a multidisciplinary journal that centers around healthy aging, called The Lancet Healthy Longevity, has recently released research that underlines this. So, will wearing hearing aids to manage hearing loss help enhance longevity? According to this study, it’s a distinct possibility.
Is hearing loss a health risk?
The link between your hearing health and your overall wellness isn’t necessarily new to researchers. The fact that neglected hearing loss can significantly raise your risk of experiencing cognitive decline is well founded, for example.
These risks, however, are largely unknown by most individuals. They think about hearing loss as an isolated hassle, something that only affects one very specific facet of their life. But the truth is that hearing loss is more than a simple annoyance, especially when neglected.
The connection between longevity and hearing loss
Usually, wearing hearing aids as much as possible will be the primary way to manage hearing loss. 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 recent study, that hearing aids can decrease your risk of early death. The study revealed that regular hearing aid use was linked to a 24% decrease in mortality risk. In other words, the people who participated in the study who used hearing aids had a tendency to live longer.
Hearing aid advantages
The research published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity isn’t necessarily conclusive proof that hearing aids will help you have a longer life (although the study does strongly suggest a relationship). However, it’s another piece of evidence to add onto what we already know about the benefits of hearing aids.
- Hearing aids can help you enjoy everyday moments with friends and family, from going out to eat with colleagues to asking your grandkids about their school day.
- Social situations can become significantly easier. This will help your general well-being by reducing your feelings of social solitude.
- You may also be more conscious of your surroundings. This can help prevent accidents, injuries, and mishaps.
- Using your hearing aids can help improve cognition. This means that you (and your brain) will likely be less fatigued and healthier over time.
These are improvements to your quality of life that you’ll feel each time you use your hearing aids. For these reasons alone, hearing aids are an important part of treating your hearing loss.
Your overall health and well-being rely heavily on healthy hearing
The more we discover about the relationships between hearing loss and the rest of your body, the more scientists have come to understand that your hearing is an extremely significant part of your overall health and wellness. If you have hearing loss, getting diagnosed and wearing hearing aids can significantly reduce your early mortality risks.
If you think that you may have some amount of hearing loss, it’s time to give us a call for a consultation.