Everyone loves the concept of a miracle cure that helps increase your lifespan. In fact, a brief internet search will likely return thousands of such miracle cures (if not more), each promising to help you have a longer life thanks to one simple trick. The vast majority of these alleged cures have no medical foundation and are not endorsed by the healthcare community.
But there are some legitimate things you can do to help you get a longer lifespan. For example, eating a healthy diet (specifically one low in sodium and saturated fats) or quitting smoking can significantly affect your expected lifespan.
This is also true of treating hearing loss by using hearing aids. That’s according to recent research published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to healthy aging. So, can hearing aids help you have a longer life? According to this study, it’s a distinct possibility.
Is hearing loss a health threat?
Researchers have been aware of the link between general wellness and hearing health for quite some time. The fact that untreated hearing loss can significantly increase your risk of experiencing cognitive decline is well established, for example.
Many individuals, however, are unaware of these risks. They think about hearing loss as an isolated inconvenience, something that only affects one very particular part of their life. But the truth is that hearing loss is more than a simple nuisance, especially when left untreated.
The connection between longevity and hearing loss
Usually, using hearing aids as much as possible will be the main way to manage hearing loss. So does this mean that you can decrease your risk of early death by wearing hearing aids? There is certainly a possibility, according to this latest research, that hearing aids can decrease your risk of early death. There is a 24% decrease in mortality risk for people with hearing loss who regularly use hearing aids, as revealed by this study. The participants in this study, in other words, who wore their hearing aids, tended to live longer.
The benefits of hearing aids
The study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity is not necessarily definitive proof that hearing aids will help you have a longer life (although the study does strongly suggest a connection). But we already have a large body of evidence about the many advantages of using hearing aids and this just adds to that body.
- From enjoying tender moments with your grandkids to participating in a business dinner, everyday situations with friends, family, and colleagues will be easier.
- Cognition can be improved by wearing hearing aids. This means that you (and your brain) will likely be less tired and healthier over time.
- It will be easier to function in social situations. This will help your overall well-being by lessening your feelings of social solitude.
- You can prevent accidents and injuries by being more aware of your surroundings.
These are improvements to your quality of life that you’ll feel each time you wear your hearing aids. These are all great reasons to use hearing aids to manage your hearing loss.
Your total health and well-being rely heavily on healthy hearing
Scientists have recognized that the health of your hearing plays a major role in your total wellness. If you have hearing loss, getting diagnosed and wearing hearing aids can substantially decrease your early mortality risks.
If you think that you may have some level of hearing loss, it’s time to call us for a consultation.