Having to visit the ER can be personally and financially costly. What if you could reduce your chances of accidents, falls, anxiety, depression, and even dementia while also preventing visits to the ER.
Wearing your hearing aid can be the difference between having an active healthy life and taking lots of trips to the ER, according to some new research.
The Study
This University of Michigan study assembled participants which ranged from 65-85. Each had severe loss of hearing. But only 45% of the participants used their hearing aids regularly.
Other researchers have also demonstrated that hearing aids were used regularly by only 30% of individuals who had them.
!2 fewer, of the 585 people who did use their hearing aid, had Er visits or unplanned hospitalizations.
This might not seem like a very big number. But it’s statistically substantial.
And that’s not all. They also discovered that those who used their hearing aids spend, on average, one day fewer in the hospital. Their time at the ER was probably reduced because they were more likely to keep their regular doctor’s appointments.
How Can Emergency Care Visits be Reduced by Wearing Hearing Aids?
The first one is obvious. You would be less likely to need emergency care if you were keeping up on your health.
Also, individuals who wear their hearing aids stay more socially engaged. When a person is socially involved they are normally more committed to keeping keep their appointments and also have more support from family and friends getting to the doctor.
For those driving themselves, it means that they can drive more safely with less anxiety about what they can’t hear.
Additionally, a U.S. study found that individuals with hearing loss who don’t use their hearing aid are twice as likely to be depressed. Depression can bring about a lack of self-care, which can lead to health concerns.
Risks of falling and dementia are, according to numerous studies, also decreased by wearing your hearing aids. As a person starts to suffer from hearing impairment, the associated region of the brain starts to decline from lack of use. The rest of the brain is eventually affected. As this happens, people commonly experience dementia symptoms and the disorientation and lack of balance connected with falls.
Falls are one of the major causes of death among individuals over 65, and the consequent hospitalizations last twice as long.
These are just a few of the reasons that hearing aids help reduce ER visits.
So Why is Wearing Hearing Aids Something That so Many People Avoid?
It’s difficult to come up with a valid excuse.
Some don’t wear them because they think that hearing aids make them seem older than they actually are. 25% of people over 65 and 50% of people above the age of 75 have hearing loss and yet this perception of looking old with hearing aids persists. Hearing impairment isn’t rare. It’s common. Additionally, hearing loss is on the rise even with 20-year-olds because of earbuds and the rise in noise pollution.
It’s ironic that when someone is constantly asking people what they said it actually makes them seem older.
Cost is often mentioned as a worry. However, financing is possible for hearing aids and costs have come down in the last few years.
Some people don’t like the way hearing aids sound. This can normally be fixed by simply working with your hearing specialist to find out how to more effectively use your hearing aid in different settings. Hearing aids can require numerous fittings before they are just right.
Make an appointment with your hearing specialist so we can help you feel more comfortable wearing your hearing aids.