Seems as if we’re always attempting to stay young. 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 the steady march of aging. Still, with that amount of time and effort, the one thing that might actually work, we tend to avoid: safeguarding our ears.
Hearing loss is often one of those “signs of aging” that we tend to think of as inevitable. But it’s not that easy. By safeguarding your ears (and treating them with some kindness on the way), you can help prevent harm and keep your hearing in good condition. And excellent hearing can have considerable anti-aging benefits as the years go on.
Aging And Hearing
The actual passage of time is not normally what we are making reference to when we talk about aging. Rather, “aging” generally refers to the presentation of certain physical, mental, or emotional characteristics that we link to aging. Joint pain is a perfect illustration of this. You might relate sore knees, for instance, with “growing old”. But it’s not age by itself that leads to the issue (your everyday 5-mile run might have something to do with it, also).
The same is true of many types of hearing loss. As you age, damage accumulates. The accumulation of damage, in most situations, is the actual cause of hearing deterioration. And it’s often downhill from there. Neglected hearing loss has been related to a number of other signs of aging:
- Depression and anxiety have been shown to have a significant link to hearing loss.
- The onset of mental issues, including dementia, can often be hastened by neglected or undetected hearing loss.
- Self isolation from friends and family can be the consequence of untreated hearing loss.
- In some cases, the mental demand involved in trying to hear can cause problems such as loss of memory or insomnia. And that can make you feel like you’re getting old in an especially intense way.
So How do I Combat Age-Related Hearing Loss?
You’re really emphasizing damage prevention when you fight the “signs of aging” in your ears. And fortunately, there are a few ways to achieve that. Here are some things you can do:
- As much as possible, avoid loud noises. And when you can’t stay away from high volume places, use hearing protection. So when you go to that concert with your favorite musician, be sure to wear earplugs.
- Increase your awareness. You can still have damage to your hearing even if sounds aren’t painfully loud. Your hearing can also be damaged by moderate noise if you are exposed to it for long time periods.
- Wear ear protection to work if your job exposes you to loud noise. Current ear muffs have amazing technology that can let you hear voices with clarity while eliminating loud, damaging environmental sounds.
Your ears can be protected by all of these steps. But in order to keep your hearing in good shape you can do one more thing: schedule an appointment with us for a hearing test. Making sure you get hearing examinations regularly can help you discover hearing loss before it’s even recognizable. Even if your hearing is perfectly normal, an exam will still be capable of providing a useful baseline to compare against future results.
Keep Your Hearing Healthy by Wearing Hearing Aids
The world we live in can be boisterous. In spite of your best effort to take care of your hearing, you still might ultimately detect some hearing loss. If that’s the situation, it’s essential that you get help as quickly as you can. Some of the age related problems related to hearing loss can be prevented with a good pair of set aids.
Hearing aids can help your ears function more youthfully, sort of like a facelift for your ears. And that can help keep depression, dementia, and other problems from increasing. The example isn’t perfect, because hearing aids are necessary and a facelift isn’t, but you get the idea. You might look younger if you use wrinkle cream. But if you actually want to battle aging and feel somewhat more youthful, your best bet is to safeguard your hearing and deal with your hearing loss.