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Do hearing aids keep you safe?
Not only can hearing aids restore one’s hearing and improve communication with friends and family, they also have the ability to increase personal safety, both at home and out in the world. According to a worldwide study conducted by EuroTrak in 2015, quality of life improved dramatically for those with hearing aids, and over half the participants felt a greater sense of safety and independence when wearing their personal hearing devices. So how can these important instruments improve your everyday safety?
Being able to keep ourselves upright and stable is something we often take for granted. But as anyone who has ever experienced a loss of balance can attest, it is virtually impossible to navigate through the world without this important function. The inner ear is not only responsible for hearing, but it also contains crucial balance sensors that help us to maintain our equilibrium and do things like walk, run, and move without falling. The damage to the cells of the inner ear that results in hearing loss can also negatively impact one’s balance, contributing to the risk of falls, which–especially for seniors–can often result in a loss of mobility and irreversible damage to the joints.
Fortunately, wearing hearing aids will improve your balance and stability in addition to your hearing. A new study from the Washington University School of Medicine revealed that older adults performed better on standard balance tests when wearing hearing aids. This study lends support to the idea that balance is connected to sound, and treating hearing loss can help to reduce the risk of falls.
Staying safe at home
Many sounds in the home–a knock at the door, beeping from the oven–are quiet, and may go unnoticed to a person with untreated hearing loss. Watching television or listening to the radio at an increased volume further increases the chance that a person with partial hearing may miss an important, yet quiet, domestic sound, such as an oven timer. In cases of severe hearing loss, a person may even miss a louder noise such as a smoke alarm. Feeling secure and having peace of mind at home requires being able to hear the sounds around you, and distinguish between normal sounds and sounds of alarm, such as a burglar. This is where hearing aids–with their advanced amplification abilities–can make a world of difference.
Increased awareness out in the world
Another area in which hearing aids can increase your safety and reduce the risk of accidents is when you are out and about in the world. These small amplification devices keep you safe by not only making you aware of hazards earlier, but also helping you to recognize where the danger is coming from more reliably.
Being safe in traffic means being alert and using all of your senses. The ability to hear warning sounds like horns or sirens will allow you to respond quickly and appropriately, helping you to avoid injury and possibly even saving your life. By helping you to locate where sounds are coming from–such as a car coming up behind you or a truck speeding around the corner–hearing aids can further help you to avoid personal injury. Hearing aids can keep you safe while walking, biking, driving, running in the park, playing sports, and doing countless other activities. But not only you–your personal listening devices may also help you to keep others safe. Treating your hearing loss means you’ll be able to hear a call for help or a sound of distress, and react quickly.
There’s no reason to withdraw from the outdoor activities you once enjoyed, feel uneasy in your own home, or suffer a loss of balance and mobility. Hearing aids will help you to feel safer and more confident, so why not have your hearing tested today? Contact us at Advanced Tech Hearing for more information!