It seems as if we’re always attempting to stay young. We spend countless hours undertaking everything possible to stay young. From specialized diets to fad workout programs to Botox to wrinkle creams. And yet, even with all that energy (and all those hours), the one thing that might actually work, we tend to avoid: using ear protection.
Hearing loss is often one of those “signs of aging” that we frequently think of as inevitable. But it’s not as simple as that. By safeguarding your ears (and treating them with a bit of kindness on the way), you can help prevent damage and keep your hearing in good condition. And as time goes by, strong hearing can have considerable anti-aging rewards.
Hearing And Aging
The actual passing of time is not usually what we are making reference to when we speak of aging. Instead, “aging” typically refers to the presentation of certain emotional, mental, or physical attributes that we link to aging. Joint pain is a great example of this. When your knees begin to hurt, you may relate that with “growing old”. But it’s not age alone that leads to the issue (your daily 5-mile run could have something to do with it, also).
The same is true of many types of hearing loss. There’s a build-up of damage as you age. The accumulation of damage, in most instances, is the actual cause of hearing degeneration. And it’s often downhill from there. Several other indications of aging have been associated with hearing loss:
- Sometimes, issues like insomnia and memory loss, can be triggered by the mental strain of attempting to hear. And, in a particularly intense way, that can cause you to feel like you are getting old.
- Untreated hearing loss might cause you to self-isolate from friends or family.
- The onset of mental problems, including dementia, can sometimes be hastened by ignored or unnoticed hearing loss.
- Research has shown a strong connection between untreated hearing loss, depression, and anxiety.
So How do I Combat Age-Related Hearing Loss?
You’re really emphasizing damage prevention when you battle the “signs of aging” in your ears. And fortunately, there are a few ways to accomplish that. For instance, you can:
- Increase your awareness. It’s not just the painfully loud sounds that can result in damage. Moderate noise for extended durations can cause damage to your ears, too.
- Wear hearing protection to work if your job exposes you to loud noise. With modern quality ear muffs, loud sounds are filtered out while you can still hear people speaking clearly.
- As much as possible, avoid loud noises. And when you can’t stay away from high volume places, wear hearing protection. So make sure you use earplugs when you go see your favorite band.
All of these strategies will help safeguard your hearing. But if you want to keep your hearing in good shape you can do one more thing: come see us for a hearing exam. Catching hearing loss before it’s perceptible can be achieved by getting regular examinations. Even if your hearing is perfectly normal, a screening will still be able to provide a useful baseline to compare against future results.
Keep Your Ears Healthy With Hearing Aids
The world we live in can be noisy. In spite of your best effort to take care of your hearing, you still may eventually notice some hearing loss. If that’s the case, it’s vital that you get help as quickly as possible. Some of the age related issues associated with hearing loss can be prevented with a quality pair of set aids.
Hearing aids can help your ears function more youthfully, kind of like a facelift for your ears. And dementia, depression, and other issues can be prevented. The analogy isn’t ideal, because hearing aids are needed and a facelift isn’t, but you get the idea. Wrinkle creams may help you look younger. But if you really want to combat aging and feel a bit more youthful, your best choice is to protect your ears and deal with your hearing loss.