Everybody wants to stay young for as long as they can. We spend a great number of hours trying everything possible to stay youthful. From specialized diets to fad workout programs to Botox to wrinkle creams. Still, with all that time and effort, we have a tendency to neglect doing one simple thing that could really work: using ear protection.
Hearing loss is often one of those “signs of aging” that we often think of as inevitable. But it’s not that easy. By protecting your ears (and treating them with some kindness as you go), you can help prevent harm and keep your hearing in good condition. And as time goes by, strong hearing can have considerable anti-aging advantages.
Hearing And Aging
The actual passing of time is not usually what we are describing when we talk about aging. Instead, certain emotional, mental, and physical changes are signs that somebody is getting older. A good example of this is joint pain. When your knees start to hurt, you might relate that with “getting old”. But it’s not age alone that causes the issue (your everyday 5-mile run could have something to do with it, also).
The same is true of many types of hearing loss. As you get older, damage builds up. The accumulation of damage, in most situations, is the real cause of hearing degeneration. And it’s typically downhill from there. Neglected hearing loss has been linked to a number of other indications of aging:
- When hearing impairments are undetected and untreated they can sometimes accelerate the onset of other mental health issues, including dementia.
- Depression and anxiety have been demonstrated to have a significant link to hearing loss.
- Self isolation from friends and family can be the result of untreated hearing loss.
- In some situations, the mental demand involved in trying to hear can result in issues such as loss of memory or insomnia. And that can make you feel like you’re aging in an especially intense way.
So How do I Overcome Age-Related Hearing Loss?
You’re really emphasizing damage prevention when you combat the “signs of aging” in your ears. And it’s fortunate that we can achieve that using several methods. Here are some things you can do:
- If you happen to work in a somewhat noisy environment, wear ear protection. With modern high quality ear muffs, loud noises are eliminated while voices are still able to be heard with clarity.
- Become more aware. You can still have harm to your hearing even if sounds aren’t painfully loud. Your ears can also be injured by moderate noise if you are exposed to it for long time periods.
- Try to avoid loud noises as much as you can. And when you can’t stay away from high volume areas, wear hearing protection. So when you go to that concert with your favorite band, be certain to wear earplugs.
All of these steps will help protect your ears. But there’s one more step you can take to keep your ears in good condition: contact us for a hearing test. Making sure you undergo hearing examinations with regular frequency can help you catch hearing loss before it’s even noticeable. You should still have a screening even if your hearing is normal so that you can have a baseline to compare against in the future.
Wear Hearing Aids to Keep Your Ears Healthy
We live in a noisy world. Despite your best effort to take care of your hearing, you still may eventually detect some hearing loss. You need to seek out help as soon as possible if you do detect any symptoms of hearing loss. Some of the age related issues associated with hearing loss can be avoided with a good pair of set aids.
You can perhaps consider hearing aids as a facelift for your ears: something to allow your ears to work a little more youthfully. And that can help keep depression, dementia, and other problems from increasing. The example isn’t ideal, as hearing aids are essential and a facelift isn’t, but you get the point. You may look younger if you use wrinkle cream. But your best bet, if want to feel younger, is to deal with your hearing loss and protect your hearing.