It seems as if we’re always trying to stay youthful. From gym memberships to Botox to wrinkle cream to special diets, we spend a great number of hours every day doing everything we can to slow the steady march of aging. And yet, even with all that energy (and all that time), the one thing that could actually work, we often avoid: using ear protection.
Most people probably consider hearing loss as inevitable as we age. But it’s not that simple. By protecting your ears (and treating them with some kindness on the way), you can help prevent harm and keep your hearing in great shape. And as the years go on, great hearing can have considerable anti-aging benefits.
Hearing And Aging
When we discuss “aging” we don’t usually mean the actual passage of time. Instead, certain emotional, mental, and physical changes are signs that somebody is getting older. Joint pain is a great illustration of this. When your knees start to bother you, you might relate that with “getting old”. But it’s not age alone that leads to the problem (your daily 5-mile run may have something to do with it, too).
Many kinds of hearing loss are in this category. There’s a build-up of damage as you grow older. The accumulation of damage, in most cases, is the real cause of hearing deterioration. And that’s when things can start to snowball. Several other indications of aging have been associated with hearing loss:
- The onset of mental issues, including dementia, can often be accelerated by ignored or undetected hearing loss.
- Self isolation from friends and family can be the result of untreated hearing loss.
- Sometimes, issues like insomnia and memory loss, can be initiated by the mental strain of trying to hear. And, in an especially intense way, that can make you feel like you are getting old.
- Anxiety and depression have been demonstrated to have a significant connection to hearing loss.
What to do About Age Related Hearing Loss
When you combat the “signs of aging” in your ears, you’re actually placing a focus on preventing damage. And it’s fortunate that we can accomplish that in a number of ways. For example, you can:
- Wear hearing protection to work if your job exposes you to loud noise. With modern quality ear muffs, loud sounds are eliminated while voices are still able to be heard with clarity.
- Steer clear of loud noises as much as possible. If you need to expose yourself to loud noise, use hearing protection. So make sure you wear earplugs when you go to that rock concert.
- Raise your awareness. You can still have damage to your hearing even if sounds are not painfully loud. Your hearing can also be injured by moderate noise if you are exposed to it for long periods of time.
All of these actions will help safeguard your hearing. But there’s one more step you can take to keep your hearing in good shape: schedule an appointment with us for a hearing exam. Catching hearing loss before it’s perceptible can be achieved by having regular examinations. Even if your hearing is perfectly fine, a screening will still be capable of providing a useful baseline to compare against future results.
Wear Hearing Aids to Keep Your Ears Healthy
The world we live in can be noisy. In spite of your best effort to protect your hearing, you still might ultimately notice some hearing loss. If that’s the case, it’s essential that you seek help as soon as possible. A good pair of hearing aids can help lessen some of the so-called age-related issues related to hearing impairments.
You can perhaps think of hearing aids as a facelift for your ears: something to allow your ears to function a little more youthfully. And that can help keep depression, dementia, and other issues at bay. The example isn’t perfect, as hearing aids are essential and a facelift isn’t, but you get the idea. You may look younger if you use wrinkle cream. But if you really want to combat aging and feel a bit more youthful, your best choice is to safeguard your hearing and take care of your hearing loss.