Hearing Health and its Impact on Your Wellbeing

Hearing Health and its Impact on Your Wellbeing

Hearing health is important for our wellbeing and quality of life. It affects how we interact with others, enjoy music and sounds, and stay aware of our surroundings. When our hearing begins to decline, it can impact many parts of our lives. It is important to understand how hearing health impacts your wellbeing.

Hearing loss is a known risk factor for dementia.1 It can also lead to social isolation, loneliness, and depression. Social isolation itself is another risk factor for dementia.2 When someone has hearing loss, they might find it hard to talk to others and join in conversations. They may even begin avoiding situations where communication is difficult. While this occurs often, it is important that people are able to communicate with others!

Research suggests that using hearing aids may improve cognition by boosting independence. Hearing aids can also make sounds louder and clearer.3 Additionally, using hearing aids can reduce listening fatigue. This may encourage someone to become more social and take part in more conversations. Reducing social restrictions may help people become more involved in their social circles.4 Despite these positive associations, there is still a stigma around using hearing aids.

Managing your hearing loss doesn’t have to be difficult. People with hearing loss can visit audiologists who can diagnose their hearing loss. The audiologist can also manage the hearing loss through hearing aids or counseling. Another option is an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid. OTC hearing aids are available online or in-stores. This makes it easy for individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing loss to access a hearing device, at home or in-person. Concha Labs recently launched their first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid, the Concha Sol™ Hearing Aids. If you think you might have mild-to-moderate hearing loss, check it out!

There are many effective options you can pursue when addressing hearing loss. Do something great for yourself and take control of your life and your hearing today!

  1. Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Sommerlad, A., Ames, D., Ballard, C., Banerjee, S., Brayne, C., Burns, A., Cohen-Mansfield, J., Cooper, C., Costafreda, S. G., Dias, A., Fox, N., Gitlin, L. N., Howard, R., Kales, H. C., Kivimäki, M., Larson, E. B., Ogunniyi, A., Orgeta, V., … Mukadam, N. (2020). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Lancet (London, England), 396(10248), 413–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6
  2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2020). Social isolation and loneliness in older adults: Opportunities for the health care system. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25663
  3. Dawes, P., Emsley, R., Cruickshanks, K.J., Moore, D.R., Fortnum, H., et al. (2015). Hearing loss and cognition: The role of hearing aids, social isolation and depression. PLOS ONE 10(3), e0119616. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0119616
  4. Holman J.A., Drummond A., Naylor G. (2021). Hearing aids reduce daily-life fatigue and increase social activity: A longitudinal study. Trends in Hearing, 25. doi:10.1177/23312165211052786
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