The end of a year brings a time of reflection, a revisiting of goals, and a plan for the upcoming year. Perhaps you’ve set a New Year’s Resolution of spending more time with family, or maybe you want to lose 10 pounds. You may even set a challenge for yourself of learning something new or making a new friend. Did you know improving your hearing health can help accomplish these goals? Resolve to work on your hearing health in 2018, and you will see your life improve in many ways.
- Improve relationships – As you know, communication is key to building and maintaining relationships. If one half of the party cannot hear or has to continue repeating themselves, this adds strain. Those who wear hearing aids are able to get out and socialize more because they can hear regardless of a setting. In 2017 if you stayed home out of fear for not being able to hear in a loud restaurant or social setting, make a goal for 2018 of improving your hearing health with hearing aids. They can be customized for your lifestyle and allow you to hear in every environment.
- Decrease stress – Not being able to hear can be extremely stressful. Whether it is at work, at home, or out on the town, you should be able to hear everything going on around you. With the help of hearing aids, you can hear the details of a major work deal, what your loved ones tell you, and even cars passing on the street. Your safety improves, allowing stress to decrease.
- Make more money – Did you know that people with hearing loss could lose up to $30,000 yearly? The Better Hearing Institute determined that untreated hearing loss comes at a detriment to the workplace and to the individual. Hearing aids can offset any of these negative side effects by 50 percent. If your insurance does not cover hearing aids and you are unable to cover the costs, consider soundproofing your cubicle, removing your desk from a loud area, or using a headset if you are often on the phone. Over 60 percent of those who experience hearing loss currently work, though the unemployment rate of those with untreated hearing loss does double from the national average. If moving up the corporate ladder is on your 2018 resolution list, think about checking your hearing.
- Strengthen your body and mind – Exercise increases blood flow and boosts the immune system, both good things for overall health and wellness. It can help prevent and decrease risk of dangerous diseases like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. These diseases can constrict the auditory nerve and further decrease cochlear blood flow. If you are worried about exercising with hearing loss, fear not! Many hearing aids are waterproof, allowing you to forget about the corrosive effects of sweat on the devices. In terms of your mind, Alzheimer’s and dementia do have links to untreated hearing loss. 2018 should be a year where you challenge yourself physically and mentally as well as a time to check in with your hearing health.