Everybody wants to stay youthful for as long as possible. We spend a great number of hours undertaking everything possible to stay young. From special diets to fad workout programs to Botox to wrinkle creams. And yet, even with all that effort (and all that time), the one thing that may actually work, we often avoid: safeguarding our ears.
Hearing impairment is often one of those “signs of aging” that we tend to think of as inevitable. But it’s not that easy. You can keep your hearing in good shape and help avoid damage by protecting and caring for your ears. And as time goes by, strong hearing can have significant anti-aging advantages.
Hearing And Aging
When we speak about “aging” we don’t usually mean the actual passing of time. Instead, specific emotional, mental, and physical changes are signs that somebody is getting older. A perfect example of this is joint pain. When your knees begin to bother you, you might relate that with “getting old”. But it’s not age by itself that causes the issue (your regular 5-mile run may have something to do with it, also).
Many kinds of hearing loss fall into this category. As you get older, damage accumulates. And in most circumstances, it’s the accumulation of damage that causes the actual hearing deterioration. And that’s when the problems can start to grow out of control. A number of other signs of aging have been linked to hearing loss:
- The onset of mental problems, including dementia, can often be hastened by neglected or undetected hearing loss.
- Research has shown a strong link between untreated hearing loss, anxiety, and depression.
- In some cases, the mental demand involved in attempting to hear can cause issues such as loss of memory or insomnia. And, in an especially intense way, that can make you feel like you are getting old.
- Untreated hearing loss might cause you to isolate yourself from family or friends.
So How do I Fight Age-Related Hearing Loss?
When you fight the “signs of aging” in your ears, you’re actually placing an emphasis on controlling damage. And it’s fortunate that we can accomplish that using several methods. Here are a few things you can do:
- Wear ear protection to work if your job exposes you to loud noise. With modern quality ear muffs, loud noises are filtered out while you can still hear people talking clearly.
- As much as possible, steer clear of loud noises. 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 sure to wear earplugs.
- Become more aware. It’s not only the painfully loud noises that can result in damage. Moderate sound for longer durations can cause injury to your ears, too.
All of these actions will help protect your hearing. But there’s one more thing you can do to keep your hearing in fighting shape: make an appointment with us for a hearing examination. Catching hearing loss before you even notice it can be achieved by having regular screenings. You should still get an exam even if your hearing is fine so that you can have a standard to compare against in the future.
Wear Hearing Aids to Keep Your Ears Healthy
We live in a loud world. Your ability to protect against damage is essential, but you may ultimately notice some hearing loss despite your best efforts. You need to seek out help as soon as possible if you do notice any symptoms of hearing loss. Some of the age related problems linked to hearing loss can be avoided with a quality pair of hearing aids.
You can maybe consider hearing aids as a facelift for your ears: something to allow your ears to perform a little more youthfully. And dementia, depression, and other problems can be prevented. This example only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are necessary. You may look younger if you use wrinkle cream. But if you really want to battle aging and feel somewhat more youthful, your best bet is to safeguard your hearing and treat your hearing loss.