Hearing aids are supposed to be used daily. But you’re also supposed to rinse out your milk containers before you recycle them. We don’t always do what we’re supposed to. It’s the same for hearing aids. Sometimes we forget to take them with us. You may even forget to wear it for more than a day.
That isn’t a really smart idea. Because when you don’t use your hearing aids numerous things happen and some things already happening get worse. And most of them, honestly, aren’t good.
Consequences of Failing to Use Your Hearing Aids
Much of what occurs when you fail to wear your hearing aids will impact both your hearing health and your social life, each with varying degrees of severity and intensity. The effects and repercussions of neglecting to use your hearing aids could include the following.
Your Level of Hearing Impairment Will Get Worse
Hearing aids are impressive gadgets. They increase your ability to hear and help keep your auditory complex (the part of the brain that interprets sound) running efficiently.
You could damage your hearing even more if, instead of wearing your hearing aids, you start turning up the volume on your devices even higher than they already are. Even if you’re keeping the volumes in check, problems with your brain can result from missing sensory input. (It actually shrinks.) So you will most likely wind up needing more powerful hearing aids in the future if you fail to use your current pair because your hearing will continue to get worse.
Social Engagement Will Become More Stressful (And Less Consistent)
You know those short interactions you have with the cashier as you’re cashing out at the supermarket? Those conversations are nice. A nice little touch of humanity in a technological world.
These normal social interactions suddenly become really difficult when you don’t wear your hearing aids. You regularly miss parts of the conversation and have to ask people to repeat what they said. Again and again. And that’s when the conversation becomes really awkward. Maybe that sounds superficial, but every bit you withdraw into yourself makes it that much easier for you to entirely isolate yourself socially. And the outcome can be even more significant.
Hearing Aids And Mental Decline
Your brain doesn’t get close to as much exercise when you isolate yourself. Think about how revitalized (or exhausted) you can feel after a good chat or a pleasant evening dinner with your family. Without that exercise, certain mental processes can start to decline (or decline faster). This could mean:
- Declines in energy or productivity
- Memory issues
- Balance troubles
- Depression
But that’s not the entire picture. Because there are certain parts of your brain and nervous system that thrive on hearing sounds. Your auditory complex starts to atrophy when certain nerves begin to weaken from lack of stimulation. This can make it more difficult to adapt to your new hearing aids and in the worst case accelerate the mental decline.
Hearing aids keep your brain active, stimulated, and happy (more or less).
Losing The Ability to be Independent
Needing a bit more help, as you get older, is not abnormal. Perhaps you ask a neighbor to mow your lawn or ask your daughter to swing by with supplies more often. You are probably to accelerate your loss of independence if you’re not wearing your hearing aids.
You can miss phone calls or lose parts of conversations with your neighbor when you don’t wear your hearing aids. It’s possible that you will miss important alerts. Perhaps you don’t hear your dog barking when there’s someone at the door or your cat meowing in the morning when he needs food.
Is There Any Solution?
No matter how technologically sophisticated hearing aids get, they won’t solve all of life’s issues. But they will solve a lot of the issues connected with not wearing your hearing aids.
You should come see us for help if you’re having issues with your hearing aids or if they are uncomfortable.
It’s worth taking a little time to think about what the consequences will be if you avoid using your hearing aids and also what the benefits of using them might be.
References
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/otolaryngology/specialty_areas/hearing/faq.html
https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20140128/hearing-loss-tied-to-faster-brain-shrinkage-with-age
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation