October is Audiology Awareness Month. While the campaign is largely focused on ways to protect your hearing, it’s also about the importance of receiving audiological care.
Research tells us that nearly 30 million American adults would benefit from using hearing aids. While hearing aids can help people with hearing loss in a myriad of ways, perhaps one of their most significant benefits is that they make it easier to keep your social connections strong.
The Importance of Social Connection
We’re learning more and more about how important it is to have strong social connections. Your relationships with your family, romantic partners, friends and neighbors benefit every aspect of your health and improve your overall quality of life.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), having strong social connections can:
- Improve your ability to recover from stress, anxiety and depression.
- Improve your sleep quality.
- Lower your risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, stroke and dementia.
Hearing Loss Makes Socializing Harder
When you have hearing loss, you don’t process speech and other sounds as easily as those with normal hearing. Your brain has to work harder to compensate, leaving you feeling easily fatigued and stressed in social circumstances.
You’re also more prone to miscommunications, which can frustrate not just you but those closest to you. Your spouse or partner might start to feel like you aren’t listening to them or become annoyed that they frequently have to repeat themselves when talking with you.
All of these issues can make you more avoidant of social situations, leading to isolation and putting a strain on your relationship with others.
How Hearing Aids Help Keep Social Connections Strong
- Enhances meaningful connections. Hearing aids help to strengthen your relationships with your partner, family and friends. It makes it easier to have meaningful conversations over morning coffee at home or when enjoying a meal out in Mobile at The Blind Mule.
- More active social life. Hearing loss might keep you from activities like going out to the movies, seeing a play or attending a friend’s large Halloween bash. Hearing aids increase your confidence in your ability to socialize with others in these scenarios, making it a more enjoyable experience for you and those you’re spending time with.
- Increases confidence and independence. Hearing aids can make you feel sure about your ability to understand others, which makes you feel more confident and capable whether you’re talking with a co-worker or meeting a new neighbor. They also allow you to move throughout your day independently instead of relying on your spouse or partner to act as a sort of translator for you in social scenarios.
To learn more about how hearing aids can help you, call Premier Medical Group today.