Hearing aids present a solution that can ease the emotional and physical tolls associated with high levels of stress.
Why Hearing Loss is Stressful
Hearing loss makes it difficult to pay attention to conversations, communicate with others and connect to the world around you. It also causes listening fatigue, which can leave you feeling mentally exhausted. For those reasons, you might isolate yourself and increase your risk of anxiety and depression.
Hearing Aids Help Relieve Stress
Wearing hearing aids offers a variety of health benefits. That list includes easing the mental and physical effects of stress.
Socialization
Background noise makes it difficult to hear your family and friends, especially if you have hearing loss. An inability to hear can leave you feeling removed from the people you love.
Hearing aids enhance speech sounds and reduce background noise, allowing you to focus on the conversation in front of you. They make it easier to visit with people, talk on the phone, volunteer or take a class.
Physical Activity
Exercise releases endorphins that diminish the effects of stress and boost your mood. Wearing hearing aids can improve your spatial awareness and help you stay safer while exercising, whether that means working out in a crowded gym or jogging alone on the side of a road.
Hearing loss also affects your balance, so it’s important to keep your hearing devices in while exercising to maintain your equilibrium. You’ll get more from your workout and enjoy the experience instead of worrying about falling or tripping.
Job Performance
Untreated hearing loss can make it difficult to communicate with your coworkers and hear during meetings. Luckily, hearing aids come have customizable features and accessories that can help you optimize your work life.
Noise reduction settings eliminate auditory distractions that make meetings difficult. Having better speech comprehension also lowers the likelihood of miscommunication.
Tinnitus Management
Stress and tinnitus often go hand in hand. Emotional distress can exacerbate the ringing in your ears. The noise then turns into a separate source of stress, perpetuating the cycle.
Some hearing devices have tinnitus sound therapy programs that produce soothing sounds to mask the ringing or buzzing. And since they amplify ambient sound, you’re less likely to notice the internal noise. That can help you manage your emotional response and prevent the pattern from continuing.
Cognitive Function
Your brain requires stimulation from your ears to activate your auditory cortex. Hearing loss prevents your inner ear from sending electrical signals to that part of your brain. That can lead to atrophy and increase your risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia.
Hearing aids enhance sounds in the device’s processor, so your brain doesn’t have to strain to interpret auditory stimuli. It’s important to wear your hearing aids every day to provide your brain with the stimulation it needs to stay active.
Confidence
Hearing allows you to be present while interacting with family, friends, coworkers and even strangers.
It’s common to feel frustration or embarrassment when asking others to speak louder or repeat themselves. Hearing aids offer personalized amplification and clarification features that make it easier to understand others the first time they speak.
Reducing the stress that comes with completing daily activities can also contribute to a stronger sense of confidence.
Hearing Aids in Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota
Hearing Associates offers quality hearing aids from major manufacturers, including Widex, Oticon and Phonak. We conduct comprehensive hearing tests to determine which type of hearing aid will suit your hearing loss. Call 888-760-2032 or schedule your appointment online.