Start off 2017 Right: Make a Resolution to Get a Hearing Test
December and many of it’s corresponding holidays are coming to a close and 2017 is fast approaching. This may be the time of the year when you start thinking about your resolutions. While always well intentioned, New Years resolutions are rarely kept past February or March (on a really good year). Why not make a resolution this year that will take you about 30 minutes to complete, is extremely easy to keep, and has the potential to dramatically change your life for the better? Seems a little too simple to be true, but scheduling a hearing test could be the perfect resolution for you this year.
Am I even at risk?
Hearing loss is usually a very gradual process, and often goes unnoticed or ignored for multiple years. If you’re over the age of 50, it is recommended that you schedule an annual hearing test to monitor your hearing abilities, and intervene with hearing aids as soon as necessary to best preserve your healthy hearing – and improve your quality of life. In Americans aged 65 and older, hearing loss affects about one in three – with that number increasing to one in two in those over 70.
No matter your age, it’s important to know the early warning signs of hearing loss such as tinnitus and poor speech intelligibility. Hearing loss has become an increasingly common issue for younger Americans – partly due to new technology and modern living.
Don’t wait years and years to get your hearing tested – even if the results may seem scary. Even if you do need to treat your hearing loss with hearing aids, the aids of today are extremely discreet and packed with power – intentionally created to make your life better, easier, and more fun.
Resolve to have better relationships and be happier
Scheduling a hearing test is the first step in treating your hearing loss with hearing aids – and hearing aids have been proven to improve romantic, familial, and friendly relationships in multiple studies throughout the world.
A recent Hear-The-World Foundation survey found that 81% of respondents were happy their partners had gotten hearing aids and 70% reported the hearing aids having a positive and direct correlation to marital satisfaction.
While this is just an example from one study, the following is not. Hear-It, an international non-profit collected and analyzed almost every peer reviewed study on the effects of hearing aids on aspects other than improved hearing. Their results were astounding. It was reported that across nations such as the US, Australia and those in Europe the overwhelming majority of studies showed a statistically significant positive impact of hearing aid use – with family and relationships being the most positively and profoundly affected.
In terms of happiness, it has been found that older adults with untreated hearing loss at 2.5 times as likely to develop depression as their peers without hearing loss. In 2015, it was found that 98% of US respondents said that hearing aids improved their quality of life and happiness.
Resolve to have higher cognitive processing and better work productivity
It’s pretty safe to say that the ability to hear and understand conversations is pretty important in most workplace situations – and this is backed by research. In 2015, EuroTrak conducted a study, which surveyed people across six nations. This study found that about 90% of the worldwide respondents reported that their hearing aids were of some or significant use to them in the workplace.
Okay, so hearing aids are important at work – but do they actually improve cognitive processing and work productivity? A study from the University of El Paso would say yes. In this study, adults with mild hearing loss who do not use hearing aids were asked to complete work-related cognitive tasks. They were then told to wear hearing aids for two weeks and given similar cognitive tasks again. In just two weeks, the participants scores had improve drastically, as well as the speed at which they chose the correct answers had improved. Thusly – in only two weeks of hearing aid wear, cognitive processing had improved.
In terms of earning potential, hearing aids have a huge impact here as well. In 2011, the Better Hearing Institute found that those with untreated hearing loss were losing an average of $30,000 per year due to lost income potential. When treated with hearing aids, this loss was reduced by a staggering 90-100%.
Are you starting to see how one little resolution to schedule a hearing test can improve your life?
From all of us at Desert Valley Audiology, we wish you a safe and healthy New Year, and invite you to take the first step to reaping some of these benefits by scheduling your first hearing exam today.
Desert Valley Audiology
(702) 605-9133