Let’s face it. When people face diminishing hearing, they often share that they feel anxious and embarrassed at the prospect of wearing hearing aids. I allow my patients to openly express these feelings, as they are a normal way to process. Anytime we have a transition in our health and wellness that necessitates decisions we didn’t foresee, it’s natural to approach decisions cautiously.
I recommend to my patients, who may be unsure about hearing aids, to weigh the Costs versus Benefits. Using this kind of reasoning, many realize that there are gains from wearing aids. Of course, the decision to wear hearing aids or not is a personal one, but if you are seeking more reasons to consider them, I’ll share with you some of the long-term benefits you may not have thought of before.
Improved Job Performance
Most people in the working world are immersed in various communication opportunities throughout the day across different modalities – email, phone calls, face-to-face, and video calls. Wearing hearing aids will help you in any verbal communication situation. Furthermore, if you can communicate more efficiently, you might find your job less exhausting. Improved hearing could make it easier to manage good co-worker relationships. You may not realize the mental stress you are expending as you try to focus on limiting the effects of even a mild hearing loss. As an added benefit to wearing hearing aids, when advancement opportunities arise, you may tap into greater confidence to interview, too.
Better Relationships with Friends and Family
Missing a joke, nodding in agreement but not understanding a question, or misunderstanding your friend’s story at a dinner party may seem minor. Still, isolation is reinforced each time these communication “misses” happen for people experiencing hearing loss. Hearing aids can help you communicate with more ease. Not only will you hear messages with greater clarity, but you’ll interrupt less for clarification.
Improved Mental Health
Do you avoid activities you once enjoyed or social dynamics?
Do you feel alone even with your loved ones?
If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you might want to weigh the impact of your hearing loss, the benefit of aids, and even consider the support of a mental health professional. As time progresses without intervening in a hearing loss, those feelings could escalate to depression, as there is a strong link between hearing loss and depression in adults. The good news, however, is that according to the American Academy of Audiology, hearing aid use has been associated with an improved quality of life and a lesser chance for depressive symptoms.
Hearing Aids of Sarasota is here to help you find the best hearing aids for your needs, and to equip you to stay connected to who and what you love. Your love of music, employment advancement, a golf game with your friends, and faith-based activities do not need to take a backseat because of hearing loss. You still have life to live, and we’re committed to helping you stay active, healthy, and happy.
