Everyone wants to stay young for as long as possible. We spend a great number of hours undertaking everything possible to stay young. From specialized diets to gym memberships to Botox to wrinkle creams. And yet, even with all that effort (and all that time), the one thing that could actually work, we tend to avoid: using ear protection.
Hearing impairment is often one of those “signs of aging” that we tend to consider to be inevitable. But it’s not that easy. By protecting your ears (and treating them with some kindness on the way), you can help prevent harm and keep your hearing in good condition. And as the years go on, strong hearing can have significant anti-aging advantages.
Hearing And Aging
The actual passage of time is not normally what we are describing when we talk about aging. Instead, specific mental. emotional, or physical changes are signs that someone is getting older. Pain in your joints is a perfect illustration of this. When your knees begin to bother you, you may associate that with “getting old”. But lifestyle has as much to do with this as age does.
The same is true of many types of hearing loss. There’s an accumulation of damage as you age. And in most cases, it’s the accumulation of damage that causes the actual hearing deterioration. And it’s often downhill from there. Neglected hearing loss has been associated with several other indications of aging:
- In some instances, the mental burden associated with trying to hear can result in problems like memory loss or insomnia. And, in an especially intense way, that can cause you to feel like you are aging.
- Studies have shown a strong link between untreated hearing loss, depression, and anxiety.
- Self isolation from family and friends can be the consequence of untreated hearing loss.
- The onset of mental problems, including dementia, can often be hastened by neglected or undetected hearing loss.
So How do I Overcome Age-Related Hearing Loss?
When you combat the “signs of aging” in your ears, you’re actually placing a focus on preventing damage. And fortunately, there are a few ways to achieve that. Here are some things you can do:
- Wear ear protection to work if your job exposes you to loud noise. With modern quality ear muffs, loud noises are eliminated while you can still hear people talking clearly.
- Increase your awareness. It isn’t only the painfully loud sounds that can cause damage. Moderate sound for longer periods of time can cause injury to your ears, too.
- Steer clear of loud noises as much as possible. If you need to expose yourself to loud noise, wear hearing protection. So when you go see that concert with your favorite musician, be certain to wear earplugs.
All of these actions will help protect your ears. But if you want to keep your hearing in good condition you can do one more thing: make an appointment with us for a hearing exam. Catching hearing loss before you even notice it can be accomplished by having regular tests. You should still get a screening even if your hearing is fine so that you can have a standard to compare against in the future.
Wear Hearing Aids to Keep Your Ears Healthy
The world we live in can be loud. Your ability to prevent damage is essential, but you may ultimately detect some hearing loss despite your best efforts. You need to get help as soon as possible if you do notice 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 assist your hearing to function more youthfully, kind of like a facelift for your ears. And dementia, depression, and other issues can be prevented. This analogy only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are necessary. Wrinkle creams may help you look younger. But if you really want to battle aging and feel somewhat more youthful, your best bet is to protect your hearing and deal with your hearing loss.