Can a Hearing Aid Prevent Further Hearing Loss?
There’s no question that hearing aids are essential tools for many people who are suffering from hearing loss. But as helpful as they are, can hearing aids prevent your hearing from getting worse? We’re taking an in-depth look to help you better understand their benefits.
At the end of the day, your quality of life is what matters the most. People with hearing loss can lead happy lives thanks to hearing aids. But protecting your ears is just as important. Below are a few ways to practice proper protection.
Protecting Your Hearing
The single most important thing you can do for your hearing is to protect it. Taking the proper precautions and actively trying to prevent hearing loss is the best way to avoid needing hearing aids. Along with age and genetics, loud noises are one of the leading causes of hearing loss.
There are many ways that you can prevent damage to your ears, such as using caution when listening to headphones. Always keep the volume level to a comfortable listening level, as louder sounds can affect your ability to hear clearly with prolonged use.
Proactive Protection
If your job involves loud noises, using ear protection on a regular basis will help prevent hearing loss. And if you are exposed to loud sounds, give your ears time to recover before getting around loud noise again.
Some medications can affect your ears, as well, so always make sure that you take them as prescribed. If you find that a certain medication is interfering with your ability to hear clearly, speak to a doctor or audiologist about having a different medicine prescribed.
It pays to be proactive in protecting your ears. In doing so, you will be less likely to damage your hearing.
Does the use of a hearing aid slow the progression of hearing loss?
Hearing aids can’t prevent hearing loss, but they can delay it. Using your hearing devices correctly is also essential in ensuring that you get the best results. In fact, improper use of hearing aids can actually make it harder to hear.
Additionally, hearing aids can play a significant role in brain function associated with hearing. This is due to the stimulation of auditory pathways in the brain. When hearing loss develops, these pathways don’t get the sound stimulation needed for optimal hearing.
Benefits of Hearing Aids
Since hearing aids serve to provide this missing stimulation, there are some people who benefit from having their sound pathways re-established. It’s also important to note that more is required of your brain when you suffer from hearing loss.
This can lead to fatigue associated with trouble processing sounds. Hearing aids help to reduce the effort needed in listening to sounds. And as such, some sufferers may experience better cognitive function and improved energy levels when they wear a hearing aid.
Don’t Delay Hearing Care
“If you suffer from sound loss but are worried about wearing hearing aids, it’s better to act now than to delay it. The sooner you address your impairment and get the proper care, the better your hearing health will be.
An audiologist can help you with your hearing loss and assist you in getting the correct hearing devices. Audiologists specialize in auditory disorders and conditions related to the ears. If you feel like you can’t hear as well as you once did, proper medical care can help prolong hearing degradation.
How can you prevent hearing loss from getting worse?
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to keep your hearing loss from degrading. As mentioned, use ear protection wherever possible. Earplugs help to reduce loud sounds, as do protective ear muffs.
Noise-canceling headphones are another essential device that can greatly reduce the effects of noisy background sound. Any time you use earbuds or other listening devices, keep the volume turned down. Due to their sound being so close to your ear, a healthy listening level will help prevent damage.
If you suspect that you have hearing trouble, schedule an appointment with an audiologist. With regular hearing checkups, you can be sure to stay on top of potential hearing loss and get the proper treatment to prolong worsening conditions.
Get Your Free Otofonix Hearing Test
Be sure to take advantage of our free online hearing test to help you determine whether you should be wearing a hearing aid. Once you have established your level of hearing loss, it will be easier to select which devices are most suitable for your needs.
What’s more, our hearing aids cost a fraction of what you’d pay for prescription models. Here at Otofonix, we have helped countless people improve their hearing with our affordable hearing aids. If you are ready to improve your quality of life, we invite you to contact us so we can help you in your journey to better hearing.
