only-live-once-hearing-aid

Wear Them Like You Mean It

In News by Bary E. Williams Au.D.

only-live-once-hearing-aid

Tina-Exceptional-Hearing-Care-PhoenixOur goal at Exceptional Hearing Care is to have people wearing their hearing aids LIKE THEY MEAN IT.

As you may have read, I have worn hearing aids for many years.  My older brother has worn hearing aids since he was five year old.

Some people think that wearing hearing aids makes you hear like when you were a child, but it doesn’t work that way.  Your brain doesn’t process the way it did when we were children and it takes time for your brain to acclimate to sounds that it hasn’t heard for possibly many years.

My Dad was diagnosed with hearing loss many years ago.  Even though two of his children were in the hearing industry (my brother is a Doctor of Audiology), he refused to wear his hearing aids. We know now that hearing is linked to dementia and a new study just came out that shows hearing aids reduce the risk of cognitive decline. My Dad has very severe dementia and I often wonder how different his life might be now had he worn his hearing aids.

Family, out of frustration from not being able to communicate, will try and bully a loved one into hearing aids. This approach typically does not work. To be successful, each person that starts a hearing rehabilitation journey must be committed to the process. Unfortunately the average time for someone to come to terms with the changes in their hearing is 7 YEARS. A lot of changes in brain processing and reorganization can occur in 7 years. Your ability to clarify speech can also change dramatically in that amount of time.

Here is why you should get your hearing tested right away when you notice changes in your hearing:

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  • IF YOU DON’T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT: The longer you wait to treat your hearing loss, the more the hairs inside the ear that carry sound to the brain will become dormant and die off. Meaning, the longer you wait to treat, the more hearing overall you will lose. Inversely, the sooner you treat your hearing loss, the more hearing ability you will be likely to keep.
  • THE LONGER YOU WAIT, THE MORE INACTIVE YOUR BRAIN WILL BECOME: Use it or lose applies to neurons in the brain as well. In recent studies, hearing loss and dementia have been linked. Communication is key to learning and understanding. If you aren’t actively using your brain everyday, you can start to lose mental clarity.
  • YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR LIFE ON HOLD: The longer you wait to address your hearing loss, the more alienated you will become from friends and family. The added stress and embarrassment of asking others to repeat may make you isolate yourself from those who love you. It can also increase blood pressure and overall stress levels.
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Hearing isn’t life or death and yet it is. It is connected to every other part of health and life and relationships. If you want to stay happy, active, and healthy, good hearing should be a top priority.

At Exceptional Hearing Care we will assist you in your hearing healthcare journey. We believe in empowering you to take control of your hearing and will make sure you are educated and comfortable every step of the way.

I look forward to meeting and helping you achieve better hearing!

Bary E. Williams Au.D.
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