Everybody wants to stay young for as long as possible. From wrinkle creams to Botox to special diets to spin class, we spend countless hours every day doing what we can to slow the steady march of aging. Still, with that amount of time and effort, the one thing that may actually work, we often avoid: wearing ear protection.
Most people probably think of hearing loss as inevitable as we get older. But it’s not as simple as that. You can keep your hearing in good condition and help avoid damage by safeguarding and caring for your ears. And excellent hearing can have significant anti-aging benefits as time goes by.
Aging And Hearing
When we talk about “aging” we don’t usually mean the actual passage of time. Instead, “aging” usually describes the appearance of certain emotional, mental, or physical characteristics that we link to getting older. Joint pain is a great example of this. When your knees start to bother you, you might associate that with “growing old”. But it’s not age by itself that causes the issue (your everyday 5-mile run might have something to do with it, too).
The same goes for many types of hearing loss. As you get older, damage accumulates. And in most situations, it’s the accumulation of damage that causes the actual hearing degeneration. And that’s when things can begin to snowball. Neglected hearing loss has been related to a number of other signs of aging:
- When hearing impairments are undetected and neglected they can sometimes hasten the onset of other mental health problems, including dementia.
- Self isolation from family and friends can be the result of neglected hearing loss.
- Research has shown a strong link between untreated hearing loss, depression, and anxiety.
- In some situations, the mental burden involved in attempting to hear can lead to issues like loss of memory or insomnia. And that might make you feel like you’re aging in an especially intense way.
So How do I Combat Age-Related Hearing Loss?
You’re actually emphasizing damage prevention when you battle the “signs of aging” in your ears. And it’s fortunate that we can achieve that in a number of ways. Here are some things you can do:
- As much as possible, steer clear of loud noises. If you have to expose yourself to loud noise, wear hearing protection. So make certain you use earplugs when you go to that rock concert.
- Wear ear protection to work if your job exposes you to loud noise. With modern high quality ear muffs, loud sounds are filtered out while voices are still able to be heard with clarity.
- Become more aware. You can still have damage to your hearing even if sounds aren’t painfully loud. Your hearing can also be damaged 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 thing you can do to keep your ears in fighting shape: contact us for a hearing test. Catching hearing loss before it’s perceptible can be accomplished by having regular tests. Even if your hearing is perfectly normal, an exam will still be able to provide a useful baseline to compare against future results.
Wear Hearing Aids to Keep Your Ears Healthy
The world we live in can be boisterous. Your ability to prevent damage is crucial, but you may ultimately notice some hearing loss even with your best efforts. If that’s the situation, 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.
Hearing aids can help your ears function more youthfully, kind of like a facelift for your ears. And that can help keep depression, dementia, and other problems from increasing. This example only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are necessary. Wrinkle creams might help you look younger. But if you actually want to fight aging and feel somewhat more youthful, your best bet is to safeguard your hearing and treat your hearing loss.