Having to go to the ER cause you to miss work, and also personal pain. What if you could minimize your chances of falls, accidents, anxiety, depression, and even dementia while also preventing trips to the ER.
Using your hearing aid can be the difference between having an active healthy life and taking many trips to the ER, according to some new research.
The Study
Participants between the ages of 65 and 85 participated in a University of Michigan study. Each had significant loss of hearing. But only 45% of the participants used their hearing aids regularly.
Other studies have also demonstrated that hearing aids were used regularly by only 30% of people who had them.
Of the 585 individuals in the group who did use their hearing aids, 12 fewer people ended up in the ER or non-elective hospital stay.
This may seem like a moderate number. But statistically, this is substantial.
And that’s not all. They also discovered that one day fewer, on average, was spent in the hospital for people who used their hearing aids. They were more likely to keep regular appointments with their doctors, which most likely reduced their time in ER.
How Can Emergency Care Visits be Reduced by Using Hearing Aids?
First for the obvious one. If an individual is keeping up with their health, they’re more likely to stay away from ER.
Also, people who use their hearing aids remain more socially involved. This can lead to both a stronger drive to show up for that doctor’s appointment and better access to services and help to get to appointments.
And driving is less dangerous when you can hear, so you will have more confidence if you are bringing yourself to your appointment.
In addition, a U.S. study revealed that people with hearing loss who don’t wear their hearing aid are two times as likely to be depressed. Health issues linked to lack of self care is frequently an outcome of depression.
Thirdly, numerous studies have revealed that using your hearing aid can lessen the risk of falling and cognitive decline. The region of the brain that’s used for hearing will begin to decline from lack of use as hearing declines. Over time, this can spread through the brain. As this occurs, people frequently experience dementia symptoms as well as the disorientation and lack of balance associated with falls.
Long hospital stays frequently accompany falls and falling is a major cause of senior death.
Hearing aids decrease visits to the ER for these reasons amongst others.
Why do so Many Individuals Neglect Wearing Hearing Aids?
It’s hard to come up with a valid excuse.
Some don’t use them because they think that hearing aids make them look older than they are. This perception remains despite the fact that about 25% of people over 65 have substantial hearing loss, and 50% of those 75 and above have it. Hearing impairment isn’t rare. It happens to many people. Additionally, hearing loss is increasing even among 20-year-olds because of earbuds and the increase in noise pollution.
Ironically, continuously asking people to repeat what they said often makes a person seem a lot older than they are.
Cost is frequently mentioned as a worry. However, financing is available for hearing aids and costs have come down in the past few years.
Some people don’t like how hearing aids sound. In this case, your hearing specialist can help you recognize what settings work best in different circumstances. Hearing aids sometimes need several fittings before they are just right.
Schedule an appointment with your hearing specialist so we can help you feel more comfortable wearing your hearing aids.