Seems like we’re constantly attempting to stay youthful. From gym memberships to Botox to wrinkle cream to special diets, we spend a great number of hours each day doing what we can to slow down the aging process. And yet, even with all that energy (and all those hours), we commonly avoid doing one easy thing that could really work: using ear protection.
Many people probably think of hearing loss as inevitable as we get older. But it’s not as simple as that. By safeguarding your ears (and treating them with some kindness along the way), you can help prevent damage and keep your hearing in good condition. And as the years go on, great hearing can have significant anti-aging advantages.
Hearing And Aging
The actual passing of time is not generally what we are referring to when we speak of aging. Instead, certain mental. emotional, or physical changes are indications that a person is getting older. Pain in your joints is a perfect illustration of this. You may associate sore knees, for example, with “growing old”. But lifestyle has as much to do with this as does age.
Many kinds of hearing loss fall under this category. There’s an accumulation of damage as you age. The build-up of damage, in most situations, is the real cause of hearing deterioration. And that’s when the problems can start to snowball. A number of other indications of aging have been connected to hearing loss:
- When hearing impairments are unnoticed and untreated they can sometimes accelerate the onset of other mental health problems, including dementia.
- In some situations, the mental burden associated with trying to hear can cause issues like loss of memory or insomnia. And, in an especially intense way, that can cause you to feel like you are getting old.
- Depression and anxiety have been shown to have a significant link to hearing loss.
- Untreated hearing loss might cause you to self-isolate from family or friends.
What to do About Age Related Hearing Loss
When you battle the “signs of aging” in your ears, you’re really placing a focus on controlling damage. And luckily, there are a few ways to accomplish that. For example, you can:
- As much as possible, avoid loud noises. If you have to expose yourself to loud noise, use hearing protection. So make sure you wear earplugs when you go to that rock concert.
- Become more aware. It isn’t just the painfully loud noises that can cause harm. Your ears can also be damaged by moderate noise if you are exposed to it for long time periods.
- If you happen to work in a somewhat noisy environment, wear hearing protection. With modern high quality ear muffs, loud sounds are eliminated while you can still hear people talking clearly.
Your ears can be protected by all of these actions. But if you want to keep your hearing in good shape you can do one more thing: contact us for a hearing exam. Catching hearing loss before you even notice it can be achieved by having regular screenings. You should still get a screening even if your hearing is normal so that you can have a standard to compare against in the future.
Wear Hearing Aids to Keep Your Ears Healthy
We live in a loud world. Your ability to avoid damage is critical, but you may ultimately detect some hearing loss even with your best efforts. If that’s the case, it’s vital that you get help as quickly as you can. A good set of hearing aids can help lessen some of the so-called age-related issues related to hearing impairments.
You can maybe think of hearing aids as a facelift for your ears: something to allow your ears to function a little more youthfully. And that can help keep depression, dementia, and other issues from increasing. This analogy only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are essential. You might look younger if you use wrinkle cream. But if you really want to combat aging and feel somewhat more youthful, your best choice is to protect your ears and take care of your hearing loss.