Having to visit the ER can be financially and personally costly. What if you could reduce your chances of falls, accidents, anxiety, depression, and even dementia while also eliminating visits to the ER.
Using your hearing aid can be the difference between living an active healthy life and taking many trips to the ER, according to some new studies.
The Research
Participants between the ages of 65 and 85 participated in a University of Michigan study. Extreme hearing loss was a widespread condition between them. But out of all of those who participated, only 45% of them wore their hearing aids on a regular basis.
This is in agreement with similar studies which have found that only around 30% of individuals who have hearing aids actually wear them.
12 fewer, of the 585 people who did wear their hearing aid, had Er visits or unplanned hospitalizations.
This may seem like a moderate number. But it’s statistically significant.
And that’s not all. They also discovered that those who wore their hearing aids spend, on average, one fewer day in the hospital. They were more likely to show up for regular appointments with their doctors, which most likely reduced their time in ER.
How Might Hearing Aids Minimize The Need For ER Visits?
The first one is obvious. You would be less likely to need emergency care if you are keeping up on your health.
Also, individuals who use their hearing aids remain more socially engaged. This can bring about both a greater drive to show up for that doctor’s appointment and better access to services and assistance to get to appointments.
For those bringing themselves, it means that they can drive more safely with less stress about what they can’t hear.
In addition, a U.S. study found that people with hearing loss who don’t use their hearing aid are twice as likely to be depressed. Depression can lead to a lack of self-care, which can lead to health concerns.
Thirdly, several studies have revealed that wearing your hearing aid can reduce the risk of falling and dementia. The part of the brain that’s responsible for hearing will start to decline from lack of use as hearing declines. The rest of the brain is eventually impacted. As this occurs, people frequently experience dementia symptoms and the disorientation and lack of balance connected with falls.
Long hospital stays often accompany falls and falling is a leading cause of senior death.
These are only a few of the reasons that hearing aids help decrease trips to the ER.
Why do so Many Individuals Avoid Wearing Hearing Aids?
It’s hard to come up with a legitimate excuse.
Some don’t use them because they think that hearing aids make them appear older than they actually are. 25% of people over 65 and 50% of people above the age of 75 have hearing loss and yet this notion of looking old with hearing aids persists. Hearing impairment isn’t rare. It happens to many people. Plus, hearing loss is on the rise even among 20-year-olds thanks to earbuds and the increase in noise pollution.
Ironically, continuously asking people to repeat themselves often makes a person look much older than they are.
Price is frequently mentioned as a concern. However, financing is possible for hearing aids and prices have come down in the past few years.
Some people don’t like how hearing aids sound. This can often be corrected by simply consulting us to learn how to more successfully use your hearing aid in various settings. Hearing aids don’t always fit and sound perfect on the first fitting and sometimes need several attempts.
If something is stopping you from wearing your hearing aid, it’s time to schedule an appointment with us.
