Hearing aids are meant to be worn daily. But you’re also supposed to wash out your milk jugs before you recycle them. Sometimes, we don’t do the things we’re supposed to. It’s the same for hearing aids. Occasionally we forget to take them with us. You may even forget to wear it for more than a day.
That’s not great. Because when you don’t use your hearing aids numerous things happen and some things already developing get worse. And, to be honest, most of them are kind of negative.
Consequences of Neglecting to Use Your Hearing Aids
Much of what happens when you fail to use your hearing aids will affect both your hearing health and your social life, each with varying degrees of severity and intensity. The effects and repercussions of failing to wear your hearing aids could include the following.
Your Hearing Will Continue to Diminish
The technology of hearing aids is pretty impressive. Not only do they allow you to hear sounds that you normally wouldn’t have, but they also keep your auditory complex running smoothly (that’s the region of your brain responsible for the interpretation of sounds).
You might damage your hearing even more if, instead of wearing your hearing aids, you begin turning up the volume on your devices even louder than they already are. Even if you’re not raising the volume, the lack of sensory input results in issues with your brain. (It actually shrinks.) So you will probably 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 Difficult (And Less Consistent)
You know when you go to the market and you get into a short conversation with the cashier? They’re enjoyable, we think. In a world dominated by technology, these little talks are a touch of humanity.
When you don’t use your hearing aids, these basic social interactions can suddenly be much more challenging. You need to ask the cashier to repeat himself. Again and again. And that’s when the conversation becomes really uncomfortable. Maybe that sounds trivial, but every bit you withdraw into yourself makes it that much easier for you to entirely seclude yourself socially. And that can cause even more substantial problems.
Mental Decline And Hearing Aids
Your brain doesn’t get nearly as much exercise when you seclude yourself. Think about how revitalized (or exhausted) you can feel after a good chat or an enjoyable evening dinner with your family. Certain cognitive functions can begin to decline or decline faster without this exercise. This could mean:
- Memory issues
- Balance issues
- Depression
- Declines in energy or productivity
But that’s not all. Because there are certain parts of your brain and nervous system that thrive on hearing sounds. Your auditory complex begins to atrophy when certain nerves begin to deteriorate from lack of stimulation. This can result in an even more accelerated cognitive decline (or, even in the best-case scenario, make adjusting to your hearing aids even harder).
Your brain stays happy, stimulated, and engaged when you wear hearing aids.
Loss of Independence
It’s not unusual, as you get older, to need a little more help. Perhaps you hire a neighbor to mow your lawn or ask your daughter to swing by with groceries more often. You are probably speeding up your loss of independence if you’re not wearing your hearing aids.
You can miss phone calls or fail to hear parts of conversations with your neighbor when you don’t use your hearing aids. You may miss important weather alerts. Perhaps you don’t hear your cat meowing at night for food or your dog barking at someone knocking on your door.
Is There Any Solution?
Wearing a hearing aid won’t solve all of life’s issues, regardless of how technologically inventive those little devices get. But many of the issues connected to failing to use your hearing aid can be solved.
You need to come see us for assistance if you’re having difficulty with your hearing aids or if they are uncomfortable.
It’s worth taking some time to think about what the consequences will be if you avoid using your hearing aids and also what the advantages of wearing them may 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