How Hearing Aids Can Improve Your Mental Health
Mental health is a key aspect of good overall health. For good cognitive function it’s important to prioritize your mental well-being. Many individuals experience burnout at some point in time, but did you know hearing loss can make this worse?
If you have hearing loss that has gone untreated, it could be negatively impacting your mental health. There is good news though; hearing aids can greatly help!
Hearing Loss and Mental Strain
There has long been a connection between untreated hearing loss and increased mental strain. When you can’t hear well, your brain has to work harder to hear spoken information. Your brain may try to fill in the gaps of conversation, which can lead to miscommunication. Because your brain is putting so much effort into hearing, it is left with little resources to dedicate to other cognitive functions, such as memory retention.
As a result of this, individuals may begin to pull away from social interactions and can feel mentally fatigued. This can lead to social isolation, depression, anxiety, and even cognitive decline.
Benefits of Hearing Aids
By wearing hearing aids, you can experience:
- Improved Communication: When you can better hear conversation, you can communicate more effectively. Spoken words are great for brain stimulation and communication helps keep you connected to those you love.
- Increased Cognitive Function: A recent study showed that in older adults at increased risk for cognitive decline, hearing aids slowed down loss of thinking and memory abilities by 48%.
- Reduced Mental Fatigue: Hearing aids work by sending sound signals to the brain. They reduce the amount of effort the brain needs to use to hear clearly, helping you feel less tired after conversations.
- Better Mental Health: When you can hear well you have the confidence to socially engage with family and friends. Being with the people you love has shown to have positive effects on mental health, longevity, and overall well-being.
- Increased Confidence: Hearing aids can help you hear clearly, giving you the confidence to rejoin the conversation, socially engage with others, and be independent.
How to Get Started
If you have noticed a decline in your hearing ability or a loved one has suggested you have your hearing checked, then you should schedule a hearing test. A comprehensive hearing test will identify if hearing loss is present, what degree of loss it is, and what your best management option will be.
Hearing Solutions offers a wide range of services to help individuals successfully manage hearing loss and experience an improved quality of life. We carry hearing aids for the people of Hemphill, Fairmount, and the surrounding areas.
Don’t let hearing loss affect your mental health, contact us today for an appointment!