Everyone wants to stay youthful for as long as they can. From gym memberships to Botox to wrinkle cream to special diets, we spend a great number of hours every day doing what we can to slow down the aging process. And yet, even with all that energy (and all that time), we have a tendency to neglect doing one simple thing that could really work: protecting our ears.
The majority of people most likely think of hearing loss as inevitable as we get older. But it’s not that simple. You can keep your hearing in good shape and help avoid damage by protecting and caring for your ears. And as time goes by, great hearing can have considerable anti-aging rewards.
Hearing And Aging
When we speak about “aging” we don’t usually mean the actual passing of time. Instead, certain emotional, mental, and physical changes are indications that somebody is getting older. A good example of this is joint pain. When your knees begin to bother you, you may associate 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, also).
Many types of hearing loss fall into this category. There’s a build-up of damage as you grow older. The accumulation of damage, in most cases, is the actual cause of hearing deterioration. And that’s when things can start to grow out of control. Neglected hearing loss has been connected to a number of other indications of aging:
- Depression and anxiety have been demonstrated to have a significant link to hearing loss.
- The onset of mental issues, including dementia, can sometimes be hastened by neglected or undetected hearing loss.
- Sometimes, problems such as insomnia and memory loss, can be triggered by the cognitive strain of attempting to hear. And that might make you feel like you’re getting old in an especially intense way.
- Untreated hearing loss might cause you to self-isolate from friends or family.
What to do About Age Related Hearing Loss
You’re actually emphasizing damage prevention when you battle the “signs of aging” in your ears. And luckily, there are a few ways to accomplish that. For instance, you can:
- Become more aware. You can still have harm to your hearing even if sounds are not painfully loud. Your ears can also be injured by moderate noise if you are exposed to it for long periods of time.
- Wear ear protection to work if your job exposes you to loud noise. Current ear muffs have incredible technology that can allow you to hear voices clearly while eliminating loud, damaging environmental sounds.
- Avoid loud noises as much as you can. And when you can’t avoid high volume places, wear hearing protection. So make sure you wear earplugs when you go see your favorite band.
Your ears can be safeguarded by all of these steps. But if you want to keep your hearing in good shape you can do one more thing: contact us for a hearing examination. Making sure you undergo hearing screenings with regular frequency can help you discover hearing loss before it’s even noticeable. You should still get a screening even if your hearing is normal so that you can have a baseline to compare against in the future.
Wear Hearing Aids to Keep Your Ears Healthy
We live in a noisy world. Your ability to avoid damage is critical, but you might ultimately detect some hearing loss even with your best efforts. You should get help as soon as possible if you do detect any symptoms of hearing loss. A good pair of hearing aids can help prevent some of the so-called age-related problems related to hearing impairments.
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 at bay. The analogy isn’t perfect, because hearing aids are necessary and a facelift isn’t, but you get the point. Wrinkle creams may help you look younger. But your best bet, if want to feel younger, is to take care of your hearing loss and protect your hearing.