Hearing aids are supposed to be worn daily. But you’re also supposed to rinse out your milk jugs before recycling 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. Perhaps you even go a day, or a week, or maybe a few weeks (a month?) without wearing your hearing aids.
That isn’t a very good idea. Because when you don’t use your hearing aids a number of things happen and some things already happening get worse. And the majority of them, to be honest, aren’t very good.
Effects And Repercussions of Going Without Hearing Aids
There will be repercussions of varying degrees of intensity and severity, both to your health and social life, if you don’t use your hearing aid. The effects and consequences of neglecting to wear your hearing aids could include the following.
Your Hearing Will Continue to Diminish
Hearing aids are remarkable devices. They enhance your ability to hear and help keep your auditory complex (the region of the brain that interprets sound) working efficiently.
If you “forget” to wear your hearing aids and, instead, turn up your TV to an even louder volume, you may be doing further damage to your hearing. Even if you’re keeping the volumes in check, issues with your brain can result from missing sensory stimuli. (It actually shrinks.) So if you don’t wear your hearing aids, your hearing will most likely keep getting worse (which means you’ll need even more powerful hearing aids before long).
Social Engagement Will Become More Challenging (And Less Frequent)
You know when you go to the market and you get into a short discussion with the cashier? They’re pleasant, we think. In a world of technology, these little chats are a touch of humanity.
When you don’t wear your hearing aids, these basic social interactions can quickly become a lot more difficult. You have to ask the cashier to repeat himself. Again and again. And that’s when the conversation becomes really awkward. Maybe that sounds superficial, but every bit you retreat into yourself makes it that much easier for you to totally isolate yourself socially. And that can lead to even bigger issues.
Hearing Aids And Cognitive Decline
Your brain doesn’t get close to as much exercise when you isolate yourself. After you have a nice conversation with your family, think about how revitalized (or exhausted) you can feel. Certain cognitive functions can begin to decline or decline faster without this exercise. This could mean:
- Declines in energy or productivity
- Memory issues
- Depression
- Balance issues
But there’s more. 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 adjust to your new hearing aids and in the worst case speed up 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 age, is not abnormal. Perhaps you get a family member to go shopping for you or a neighbor to do some yard work. You are probably to accelerate your loss of independence if you’re not using your hearing aids.
When you don’t use your hearing aids, it can quickly become more difficult to answer the phone or talk with your neighbor. You could miss important weather alerts. Maybe you don’t hear your cat meowing at night for food or your dog barking at somebody ringing your doorbell.
Is There Any Solution?
Wearing a hearing aid won’t solve all of life’s problems, regardless of how technologically inventive those little gadgets get. But they will solve a lot of the issues associated with not using your hearing aids.
If you’re having trouble with your hearing aids or if they’re uncomfortable, that’s one thing (and you should speak with us about finding solutions to those particular problems).
It’s worth taking a little time to think about what the consequences will be if you avoid wearing your hearing aids and also what the advantages of wearing them might be.
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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
