Everybody loves the concept of a miracle cure that helps increase your lifespan. As a matter of fact, a brief internet search will probably return thousands of such miracle cures (if not more), each promising to help you have a longer life if you employ one simple trick. The healthcare community doesn’t back most of these supposed cures as they have no real medical basis.
But there are some legit things you can do to help you achieve a longer lifespan. For example, eating a healthy diet (particularly one low in sodium and saturated fats) or quitting smoking can dramatically affect your expected lifespan.
Making use of hearing aids to treat hearing loss is also in this group. That’s in line with recent research published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, a multidisciplinary publication devoted to healthy aging. So, can hearing aids help you have a longer life? There’s a strong possibility that it will according to this study.
Is hearing loss a health threat?
Researchers have been aware of the connection between general wellness and hearing health for quite a while. The fact that untreated hearing loss can considerably raise your risk of experiencing cognitive decline is well founded, for instance.
Many individuals, however, are not aware of these risks. They consider hearing loss to be an isolated inconvenience, something that only affects one very specific facet of their life. But when neglected, hearing loss can pose greater health concerns than a simple inconvenience.
Is there a link between hearing aids and longevity?
In most cases, treatment for hearing loss means using hearing aids as much as possible. So does this mean that you can decrease your risk of early death by using hearing aids? According to this most recent study, possibly. The study found that day-to-day hearing aid use was connected to a 24% reduction in mortality risk. The participants in this study, in other words, who used their hearing aids, tended to live longer.
The benefits of hearing aids
Although The Lancet Healthy Longevity study strongly suggests a link between hearing health and longevity, it doesn’t absolutely prove that using hearing aids will help you live longer. But we already have a large body of evidence about the many advantages of using hearing aids and this just adds to that body.
- It will be easier to function in social engagements. This can minimize the degree of social solitude you feel, improving your overall mental wellness.
- From enjoying tender moments with your grandchildren to participating in a business dinner, everyday situations with friends, family, and colleagues will be simplified.
- Cognition can be improved by using hearing aids. This means that you (and your brain) will likely be less fatigued and healthier over time.
- You might also be more mindful of your surroundings. This can help prevent accidents, injuries, and mishaps.
These are improvements to your quality of life that you’ll feel each time you wear your hearing aids. For these reasons alone, hearing aids are an essential part of managing your hearing loss.
Hearing is an essential part of your health and wellness
Scientists have recognized that the health of your hearing plays a major role in your total wellness. Your risk of early mortality can be diminished by managing any hearing loss you might have with hearing aids.
Seeing a hearing specialist can help you determine whether you have hearing loss and the best way to manage it.