It seems like we’re always trying to stay young. From gym memberships to Botox to wrinkle cream to special diets, we spend countless hours every day doing everything we can to slow the steady march of aging. Still, with all that time and effort, we have a tendency to neglect doing one simple thing that might really work: safeguarding our ears.
Hearing impairment is often one of those “signs of aging” that we tend to think of as inevitable. But it’s not that simple. You can keep your hearing in good condition and help prevent damage by protecting and caring for your ears. And as time goes by, great hearing can have significant anti-aging rewards.
Hearing And Aging
The actual passage of time is not usually what we are making reference to when we speak of aging. Instead, certain emotional, mental, and physical changes are signs that someone is getting older. A good example of this is pain in your joints. You might associate sore knees, for instance, with “getting old”. But it’s not age by itself that causes the issue (your everyday 5-mile run could have something to do with it, also).
Many types of hearing loss are in this category. As you get older, damage builds up. And in most circumstances, it’s the build-up of damage that causes the actual hearing deterioration. And that’s when the problems can begin to grow out of control. Several other indications of aging have been linked to hearing loss:
- The onset of mental problems, including dementia, can often be hastened by neglected or undetected hearing loss.
- Self isolation from family and friends can be the consequence of neglected hearing loss.
- Research has shown a robust connection between neglected hearing loss, anxiety, and depression.
- In some cases, the mental burden involved in attempting to hear can lead to problems like memory loss or insomnia. And that can make you feel like you’re getting old in an especially profound way.
So How do I Overcome Age-Related Hearing Loss?
When you combat the “signs of aging” in your ears, you’re really placing an emphasis on controlling damage. And luckily, there are quite a few ways to achieve 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 when you go to that concert with your favorite musician, be sure to use earplugs.
- If you happen to work in a rather noisy setting, wear hearing protection. With modern high quality ear muffs, loud noises are filtered out while you can still hear people talking clearly.
- Boost your awareness. You can still suffer damage to your hearing even if sounds are not painfully loud. Moderate sound for longer periods of time can cause injury to your ears, too.
Your ears can be safeguarded by all of these actions. But there’s one more thing you can do to keep your hearing in fighting shape: make an appointment with us for a hearing test. Making certain you get hearing screenings with regular frequency can help you discover hearing loss before it’s even perceptible. You should still get a screening even if your hearing is normal so that you can have a baseline to compare against in the future.
Keep Your Ears Healthy by Wearing Hearing Aids
We live in a noisy world. Your ability to prevent damage is crucial, but you may ultimately detect some hearing loss in spite of your best efforts. You need to seek out help as soon as possible if you do notice any symptoms of hearing loss. A good pair of hearing aids can help prevent some of the so-called age-related issues related to hearing impairments.
You can maybe consider hearing aids as a facelift for your ears: something to make your ears to work a little more youthfully. And dementia, depression, and other problems can be avoided. The analogy isn’t ideal, because hearing aids are necessary and a facelift isn’t, but you get the point. Wrinkle creams could help you look younger. But if you really want to fight aging and feel somewhat more youthful, your best choice is to safeguard your hearing and treat your hearing loss.
