5 Sound Reasons to get a Hearing Health Check

Booking a hearing test may not be top of your to-do list – but it should be.

Hearing health research has, for years, pointed to the merits of taking the best care of your hearing, but recent findings have given us a few surprises.  Here are five sound reasons to get your hearing checked that you may not have thought about.

1: Hearing and Heart Disease

Do you know there’s a link between hearing loss and heart disease?

Research at the University of Wisconsin in Madison shows that hearing loss can be an early indicator of heart problems for some people who appear fit and healthy. The scientists believe the delicate blood vessels in the inner ear are extremely sensitive to changes in circulatory flow. Thus, loss of low-frequency hearing may be due to changes in the small arteries supplying the ear and can serve as an early warning sign of heart disease.

Indeed, Dr. Friedland goes so far as to say people with a certain pattern of hearing loss should be referred for a cardiovascular investigation!

2: Delay or Prevent Dementia

Preserving your hearing can prevent or delay the onset of dementia.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine found people with hearing loss were at increased risk of dementia. The exact link is not known, but experts postulate that the strain on the brain of making sense of muffled sounds may stress if enough to leave it vulnerable to dementia.

Another factor may be that the hard of hearing may be socially isolated and have less mental stimulation, which is another risk factor for dementia, and leads us to point three.

3: Safeguard your Quality of Life

A hearing aid improves reduced hearing. People with good hearing are more likely to connect with those around them and enjoy a better quality of life. In turn, this feeds an optimistic attitude where you can tackle problems in a positive manner. This helps you to continue to be outgoing and sociable, rather than feel frustrated or isolated.

4: Communicate Effectively

Everyone wants to express their thought, emotions and opinions effectively. To do this means understanding the full implications of the other person’s argument, which you can only do if you hear clearly. Debate, argument, and self-expression are the social glue that bonds people together. Be it in the workplace or in a relationship, listening and responding are the basic foundation of balanced human interaction.

5: Protect your Earnings

Last, but certainly not least, there is a practical side to healthy hearing. One study showed people with a mild hearing loss experienced a 10% fall in earning ability, but happily, this was reversed with the use of a hearing aid. With severe hearing loss, the reduction in earning potential was 35%, but with a hearing aid it was marginally more palatable at 23%, an improvement of 12%.

Five sound reasons to get a hearing check. Which one struck a chord for you?