How Hearing Better Helps You Live Longer

There’s a long list of reasons why you would want to hear as well as possible. Many of them are obvious. But did you know that hearing better may actually help you to live longer? It’s true. Aside from the many other benefits of managing your hearing loss, you’ll also be increasing your chances of living longer compared to if you didn’t manage your hearing loss. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at a few of the ways in which giving your hearing a boost can extend the longevity of your life.

Improved Sense of Balance

Your hearing does more than just allow you to hear all that’s going on around you. It also helps with your balance. When your hearing is working as it should, your brain can focus on other important things that matter, such as ensuring that you’re kept stable.

If your hearing isn’t as robust as it could be, then your brain’s focus will be diverted to hearing, which means it can’t focus as well on keeping you on your feet. Falls in older people are one of the leading causes of hospital admissions for people in that age bracket. By improving your hearing, you’ll be reducing your chances of experiencing a fall.

Emergency Senses

The world is a safe environment. But one of the reasons for this is that we have signals and sirens that can alert us to danger. The faster you respond to these alerts, the more likely it is that you’ll be kept safe. Take a fire alarm, for example. They can alert you to the presence of a fire at the earliest opportunity, which will give you time to respond to the emergency, including getting yourself as far away from the danger as possible. If your hearing is impaired, then you may not hear the warning alarm. And in that scenario, even a slight delay can cause big problems.

Reduced Risk of Depression

Scientists are beginning to understand more and more about what humans need to live longer. There’s an increasingly validated correlation between symptoms of depression and reduced life expectancy. Studies have also shown that people with untreated hearing loss are more prone to depression than those that take action. And that this is the case should come as no surprise. Wearing a hearing aid can have a significant impact on your quality of life, which will make you happier, which will make you less likely to show signs and symptoms of depression.

More Connection

Links have also been made between social isolation and life expectancy too. It’s easy to forget, but humans are social and in order to be at our best, it’s important that we’re maintaining our social connections. Indeed, in a study of the world’s Blue Zones – the regions of the world where people live the longest – it was found that social inclusion was one of the biggest contributing factors to the increased life expectancy. One of the main benefits of getting a hearing aid fitted by a hearing instrument specialist is that it makes conversations much easier to follow, which will increase the person’s ability to socialize.

Active Brain

People seem to think that it’s the health of the body that determines how long you’ll live. But that’s not the only factor. There’s also the health of the brain, too. If a person is going to live longer – and with a high quality of life – then it’s important that their cognitive abilities are kept at a high standard. Though scientists aren’t entirely sure why, a link has been established between hearing and a person’s cognitive abilities. By treating hearing loss, you’ll essentially be giving your brain a nudge to stay at its best.

Stronger Sense of Identity

Loss of independence and identity has been linked to premature death. Losing your hearing can have a profound impact on your sense of self. If you can manage your hearing, then you’ll be able to retain more elements of autonomy in your later years, improving the quality of your life as well as the number of years.

A person’s level of hearing isn’t the only thing that’ll impact how long they’ll live, of course, but it is a factor. If you feel that you may be experiencing some level of hearing loss, then be sure to get in touch with us here at Armand’s Hearing Center. We will be able to evaluate your level of hearing and make recommendations as to which hearing aid is appropriate for your needs, if necessary. Call us at: Bradenton: 941-748-9800 and Sun City: 813-938-1148.