5 Reasons to Wear Your Hearing Aids

Wait — don’t mothball those hearing aids! Even after being properly fitted with technology, some hearing aid users fall out of the habit of wearing their devices. Rather than help the person hear better, live healthier, and engage with the world, the hearing aids sit idle collecting dust in a bin or drawer.

If this sounds like you or a loved one, you’re not alone. An estimated 1 in 5 people who have hearing aids don’t use them, per a UK study. Going without your prescribed hearing technology, however, can impact not only your ability to communicate but also your total health, making it important not to miss a single day.

Check out these five reasons to wear your hearing aids.

1. Hearing Loss Is a Chronic Condition

Just as you wouldn’t skip treatment for asthma, diabetes, or cataracts, it’s important to properly deal with hearing loss. As one of the most common chronic physical health issues, hearing loss often worsens over time. The longer the loss goes unaddressed, the less likely it can be recovered or effectively managed.

2. Dementia Risk Increases With Hearing Loss

Did you know? Hearing loss contributes to isolation and brain strain, which could significantly raise your risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Hearing aid use and audiologic counseling, however, slowed cognitive decline by nearly 50% among older adults at higher risk in an exciting study released just last year.

3. Tackling Hearing Loss Can Relieve Tinnitus

Many people don’t realize that hearing loss is a primary contributor to tinnitus (ringing, buzzing, or humming in the ears). It’s present in about 90% of tinnitus cases. Hearing aids, however, not only can improve hearing but may also curb tinnitus symptoms in some instances, helping the brain defocus from the annoying ringing.

4. Untreated Hearing Loss and Falling Are Linked

Mechanisms in the inner ear contribute to balance, so it’s no wonder that hearing loss puts you at a higher risk of falling. Even mild hearing loss may triple the chance of a fall. Hearing aid use, however, is linked to a 13% reduced risk of fall-related injuries among older adults, per a study led by University of Michigan investigators.

5. With Hearing Loss, Depression Can Set In

Researchers have found a 47% greater chance of depression among older adults with hearing loss. Conversely, adults treated with hearing aids have reported significant improvement in mental health, according to one investigation, and other studies have also shown lower odds of depression.

After getting hearing aids, making them a regular part of life may seem challenging. But forgoing the technology prescribed by your hearing care provider has real consequences. Hearing typically doesn’t improve on its own, and depriving your brain of sound can spell more trouble down the line.

Instead, take action to integrate your hearing aids into your everyday routine:

• Keep them powered up, regularly charging or replacing batteries to help ensure your technology’s ready when you need it.
• Familiarize yourself with the potential features — including noise reduction, directional microphones, audio streaming, automated settings, and more.
• Attend follow-up appointments, with check-ups to fine-tune your devices, resolve any concerns, and ensure the technology’s still meeting your needs.
• Optimize your listening environment (limiting background noise, facing the person speaking, leveraging captions, etc.) to further support engagement.
• Stay patient and persistent, gradually adapting to hearing aids. Over time, you’ll likely find that using them becomes second nature as your ability to hear and understand sounds improves.