A significant 48 million people in the United States suffer from either a mild or severe form of hearing loss. That’s roughly 7% of the population.
While hearing loss years ago might have led to an existence of hampered communication, failing relationships, and depression, today, hearing loss is both treatable and can even be prevented.
With the new year coming up, we think now is a fantastic time to reflect on your hearing health and start exploring options on how you can improve it.
To that end, our team has scoured the latest in hearing news to bring you advice on devices worth investing in as well as general tips on how you can start hearing better in 2019 and beyond!
1. Upgrade Your Hearing Aid (Or Start Wearing One)
The lowest hanging fruit when it comes to dramatically improving your hearing health is investing in hearing aids.
Hearing aids have come a long way since their inception back in the late 1800s. Today they have batteries that last a long time, offer outstanding comfort, and of course work insanely well.
There are a lot of excellent models of hearing aids out there from top brands including Liberty hearing aids and more.
At the end of the day, you and your doctor can determine if a hearing aid can help your situation, if an upgrade can improve your situation, and which hearing aid you should select!
2. Exercise More
Most people don’t equate getting good exercise to hearing well. The fact is that exercise and hearing are symbiotic in a lot of ways.
When you exercise, you improve your body’s overall health. That can strengthen your immune system, reduce your risk of infection, and could help you avoid illnesses that adversely affect hearing.
In the more immediate sense, when you exercise, you increase blood flow to your ears which can help its various components function more vigilantly and will improve your hearing ability.
3. Don’t Subject Your Ears to Loud Noises
The latest hearing health news released by auditory specialists continues to reaffirm something most people already know.
Loud noises destroy your ability to hear.
Noise Induced Hearing Loss, or NIHL occurs when one subjects their ears to loud, noises. These noises then cause explosions in your ear which lead to serious damage to structures housed within the inner ear.
NIHL can be permanent and may even be immediately noticeable after a loud event.
To keep your hearing safe in the new year and beyond, stay away from destructive noise levels.
4. Meet With Your Specialist
Your hearing health is a constantly evolving thing. That constant evolution requires a dynamic treatment plan that will help you to always hear your best.
Therein lies the value of meeting with your auditory specialist at least once a year.
So often we hear stories of people who meet with a specialist, get a hearing aid and never see them again. Those same people are then confused when they see that their ability to hear deteriorates more rapidly than they expected.
By being proactive and visiting your ear-specialist, you can get out ahead of your changing hearing situation and will always be armed with a strong course of action.
5. Aural Rehabilitation
Have you ever heard of rehab for ears? Most people haven’t but an increasing amount of people are discovering it just recently.
Through aural rehab, ear specialists will help you do exercises that can help improve both your hearing and listening skills.
We can’t stress the “listening” component of that last sentence enough.
Aural rehabilitation strengthens your listening abilities and simultaneously gives your hearing the medically-backed support it needs to operate as effectively as possible.
6. Talk to Your Doctor About Cochlear Implants
Another device beyond hearing aids that are picking up traction among the hard of hearing is cochlear implants.
Where hearing aids aim to amplify the sounds around you, cochlear implants aim to replace the functions of the damaged components in your ear so you can hear sounds more loudly at the appropriate volume.
Not everybody is a candidate for cochlear implants because these devices are focused on replicating specific inner ear structures. If those structures aren’t the cause of your hearing loss, you’re better off getting hearing aids.
Talk to your doctor to see if cochlear implants are the right option for you.
7. Be Proactive and Don’t Pretend That You Don’t Have a Problem
People who ignore their hearing health and don’t seek the treatment they need to get better put themselves at a high risk of depression.
Sound is such an integral part of human life and forgoing it just because you’re too proud to admit that you have a problem is a wrong way to go.
If the latest hearing health news is any indicator, rest assured that hearing issues and their treatments are mainstream in today’s day in age. There’s no shame in seeking help and no reason why you should delay improving your hearing another day!
Wrapping Up Hearing Health News
The latest news provided by medical doctors and hearing health enthusiasts have brought us a lot of tips and device recommendations that we think can change your auditory experience in the new year.
We hope that the information we’ve given you above helps you hear a little better and live a little happier today and for years to come!
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