Trips to the ER cause you to miss work, and also personal pain. What if you could reduce your chances of accidents, falls, anxiety, depression, and even dementia while also preventing visits to the ER.
Surfacing studies make the case that, for those with severe hearing loss, wearing their hearing aid could be the difference between staying connected and healthy and winding up spending many nights in the emergency room.
The Research
Participants from 65 to 85 participated in a University of Michigan study. Extreme hearing loss was a common condition between them. But only 45% of the participants used their hearing aids regularly.
This is on par with comparable studies which have shown that only around 30% of people who have hearing aids actually wear them.
Of the 585 people in the group who did use their hearing aids, 12 fewer people found themselves in the ER or non-elective hospital stay.
This might not seem like a very large number. But statistically, this is substantial.
And there’s more. They also discovered that those who wore their hearing aids spend, on average, one day fewer in the hospital. They were more likely to show up for regular appointments with their doctors, which probably decreased their time in ER.
How Might Hearing Aids Reduce The Need For Emergency Care Visits?
The first one is obvious. If an individual is staying on top of their health, they’re more likely to stay out of ER.
Also, individuals who use their hearing aids stay more socially active. When a person is socially connected they are usually more committed to keeping keep their appointments and also have more help from friends and family getting to the doctor.
For those bringing themselves, it means that they can drive more safely with less stress about what they can’t hear.
In addition, a U.S. study found that people with hearing loss who don’t use their hearing aid are twice as likely to be depressed. Health concerns linked to lack of self care is often an outcome of depression.
Thirdly, various studies have shown that using your hearing aid can decrease the risk of falling and dementia. The part of the brain that’s used for hearing will start to decline from lack of use as hearing declines. The rest of the brain is ultimately impacted. The disorientation related to falls and symptoms of dementia are often the outcome.
Falls are one of the major causes of death among people over 65, and the resulting hospital stays last two times as long.
These are only a few of the reasons that hearing aids help minimize ER visits.
So Why is Wearing Hearing Aids Something That so Many Individuals Neglect?
There’s truly no good reason.
Some don’t use them because they think that hearing aids make them seem older than they are. 25% of individuals over 65 and 50% of people above the age of 75 have hearing loss and yet this perception of looking old with hearing aids remains. Hearing loss isn’t unusual. It happens to many people. And thanks to the increase in noise pollution and earbud usage, hearing loss is increasing among people in their twenties.
Ironically, constantly asking people to repeat themselves often makes a person appear a lot older than they are.
Some people cite the costs of hearing aids. However, financing is possible for hearing aids and costs have come down in the past few years.
Finally, some don’t like the hearing experience with their hearing aid. If this is a problem for you, your hearing specialist can help you understand what settings work best in different situations. Hearing aids don’t always fit and sound perfect on the first fitting and sometimes require several attempts.
Schedule an appointment with your hearing specialist so we can help you feel more comfortable wearing your hearing aids.
