Some concerning (but intriguing!) studies have come out in recent years that connect your hearing to other aspects of your health, like your cognition, balance, and lifestyle. If you’ve read some of those statistics recently, maybe you’re wondering if you should get your hearing tested.
Our answer? Yes!
Some of the studies are a little alarming, but they’re true: untreated hearing loss can lead to some unfortunate effects down the line, including cognitive decline, social isolation, balance disorders, and more.
Thankfully, the solution is remarkably simple – professional hearing care, including hearing aids, can help your memory improve, keep you steady on your feet, and, according to a study that was published this past January, even help you live longer.
A study led by Dr. Janet Choi from Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California sought to understand how regular use of hearing aids helped almost 10,000 participants who had some form of hearing loss challenge. Of her two groups of participants, the group that used hearing aids consistently had a 24% lower risk of premature mortality than the group that didn’t wear hearing aids at all.
Dr. Choi emphasizes that hearing aids aren’t the only solution to a longer life, but if you struggle with hearing loss challenges, seeking treatment and wearing hearing aids on a regular basis could help you avoid deadly consequences.
We’ve seen for ourselves how hearing care helps people regain confidence in themselves, become more independent, and stay connected with their loved ones – but Dr. Choi found that outside of her study, just 12% of her participants actually wore their hearing aids routinely.
However, Dr. Choi—who wears a hearing aid herself—is hopeful that her study will motivate more people to seek out hearing care and address their hearing loss.
