It seems like we’re constantly attempting to stay young. From wrinkle creams to Botox to special diets to spin class, we spend a great number of hours every day doing everything we can to slow the steady march of aging. Still, with that amount of time and effort, the one thing that could actually work, we tend to avoid: safeguarding our ears.
Most people most likely think of hearing loss as inevitable as we get older. But it’s not that easy. You can keep your hearing in great condition and help prevent damage by safeguarding and caring for your ears. And as time goes by, great hearing can have considerable anti-aging rewards.
Aging And Hearing
The actual passing of time is not normally what we are referring to when we talk about aging. Instead, “aging” generally refers to the presentation of certain emotional, mental, or physical characteristics that we associate with aging. Joint pain is a great illustration of this. When your knees start to bother you, you may relate that with “growing old”. But it’s not age alone that leads to the issue (your daily 5-mile run might have something to do with it, too).
The same is true of many kinds of hearing loss. There’s a build-up of damage as you age. The build-up of damage, in most situations, is the actual cause of hearing degeneration. And it’s typically downhill from there. Untreated hearing loss has been connected to a number of other signs of aging:
- Research has shown a robust link between neglected hearing loss, depression, and anxiety.
- When hearing impairments are unnoticed and neglected they can sometimes accelerate the onset of other mental health problems, including dementia.
- In some instances, the mental demand involved in trying to hear can cause issues such as memory loss or insomnia. And, in a particularly intense way, that can cause you to feel like you are aging.
- Untreated hearing loss might cause you to self-isolate from friends or family.
So How do I Overcome Age-Related Hearing Loss?
When you fight the “signs of aging” in your ears, you’re actually placing an emphasis on controlling damage. And it’s fortunate that we can accomplish that using several methods. For example, you can:
- If you happen to work in a rather noisy environment, wear ear protection. Current ear muffs have excellent technology that can allow you to hear voices with clarity while filtering out loud, harmful environmental sounds.
- Become more aware. It isn’t just the painfully loud noises that can result in damage. Your ears can also be damaged by moderate noise if you are exposed to it for long periods of time.
- Steer clear of loud noises as much as you can. And when you can’t stay away from high volume places, use hearing protection. So when you go see that concert with your favorite musician, be sure to wear earplugs.
Your ears can be protected by all of these actions. But there’s one more thing you can do to keep your hearing in good condition: contact us for a hearing test. Catching hearing loss before you even notice it can be achieved by getting regular screenings. 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 With Hearing Aids
The world we live in can be loud. Despite your best effort to take care of your hearing, you still may eventually detect some hearing loss. If that’s the situation, it’s vital that you get help as quickly as you can. A good set of hearing aids can help counter some of the so-called age-related concerns related to hearing impairments.
You could maybe consider hearing aids as a facelift for your ears: something to make your ears to work a little more youthfully. And that can help keep depression, dementia, and other issues from increasing. This example only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are essential. You might look younger if you use wrinkle cream. But your best bet, if want to feel younger, is to treat your hearing loss and safeguard your ears.