Seems like we’re always attempting to stay young. We spend a great number of hours undertaking everything we can to stay youthful. From specialized diets to fad workout programs to Botox to wrinkle creams. Still, with that amount of time and effort, the one thing that could actually work, we tend to avoid: protecting our ears.
Many people most likely consider hearing loss as inevitable as we age. But it’s not that easy. By safeguarding your ears (and treating them with some kindness on the way), you can help prevent damage and keep your hearing in great shape. And excellent hearing can have significant anti-aging effects as time goes by.
Hearing And Aging
The actual passing of time is not usually what we are describing when we speak of aging. Instead, specific mental. emotional, or physical changes are indications that someone is getting older. A great example of this is pain in your joints. You might relate sore knees, for instance, with “growing old”. But lifestyle has as much to do with this as age does.
The same is true of many types of hearing loss. As you age, damage builds up. And in most situations, it’s the accumulation of damage that leads to the actual hearing deterioration. And it’s typically downhill from there. Several other indications of aging have been associated with hearing loss:
- Self isolation from friends and family can be the consequence of neglected hearing loss.
- Sometimes, issues such as insomnia and loss of memory, can be initiated by the mental strain of attempting to hear. And, in an especially profound way, that can cause you to feel like you are aging.
- Research has shown a strong link between untreated hearing loss, anxiety, and depression.
- When hearing problems are unnoticed and untreated they can sometimes hasten the onset of other mental health issues, including dementia.
So How do I Combat Age-Related Hearing Loss?
You’re really emphasizing damage prevention when you fight the “signs of aging” in your ears. And luckily, there are quite a few ways to accomplish that. For instance, you can:
- Boost your awareness. You can still suffer harm to your hearing even if sounds are not painfully loud. Moderate noise for extended durations can cause damage to your ears, too.
- If you happen to work in a relatively noisy setting, wear ear protection. With modern high quality ear muffs, loud sounds are eliminated while voices are still able to be heard with clarity.
- As much as possible, avoid loud noises. And when you can’t avoid high volume locations, wear hearing protection. So when you go to that concert with your favorite musician, be sure to wear earplugs.
Your ears can be protected by all of these steps. But if you want to keep your hearing in good condition you can do one more thing: come see us for a hearing test. Catching hearing loss before you even notice it can be achieved by having regular screenings. 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
The world we live in can be noisy. Your ability to avoid damage is essential, but you might ultimately notice some hearing loss in spite of your best efforts. If that’s the case, it’s essential that you seek help as quickly as possible. A good pair of hearing aids can help counter some of the so-called age-related concerns related to hearing impairments.
Hearing aids can help your ears function more youthfully, kind of like a facelift for your ears. And dementia, depression, and other problems can be prevented. This analogy only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are essential. Wrinkle creams could help you look younger. But if you really want to fight aging and feel somewhat more youthful, your best choice is to protect your hearing and take care of your hearing loss.