Trips to the ER cause you to miss work, and also personal pain. What if you could reduce your chances of falls, accidents, anxiety, depression, and even dementia while also eliminating trips to the ER.
Surfacing research makes the case that, for people with severe hearing loss, wearing their hearing aid could be the difference between staying involved and healthy and winding up spending many nights in the emergency room.
The Study
This University of Michigan research assembled participants which ranged from 65-85. Severe hearing loss was a widespread problem between them. But out of all of those people who participated, only 45% of them used their hearing aids regularly.
This is in agreement with similar studies which have found that only about 30% of individuals who have hearing aids actually wear them.
12 fewer, of the 585 individuals who did use their hearing aid, had Er visits or unplanned hospitalizations.
This might seem like a moderate number. But statistically, this is significant.
And that’s not all. They also discovered that those who wore their hearing aids spend, on average, one day fewer in the hospital. They were more likely to keep regular appointments with their doctors, which likely decreased their time in ER.
How Can Hearing Aids Reduce The Need For Emergency Care Visits?
The first one is obvious. If a person is staying on top of their health, they’re more likely to stay away from ER.
Also, individuals who use their hearing aids stay more socially involved. When a person is socially connected they are usually more committed to keeping keep their appointments and also have more support from friends and family getting to the doctor.
For those bringing themselves, it means that they can drive more safely with less stress about what they can’t hear.
One study carried out in the U.S. found that depression is twice as likely in individuals who don’t wear their hearing aid. Health problems linked to lack of self care is commonly an outcome of depression.
The third thing is, various studies have shown that wearing your hearing aid can lessen fall risk and dementia. The region of the brain that’s responsible for hearing will begin to decline from lack of use as hearing declines. The rest of the brain is ultimately affected. The disorientation related to falls and symptoms of dementia are frequently the outcome.
Long hospital stays often accompany falls and falling is a leading cause of senior death.
These are just a few of the reasons that hearing aids help decrease ER visits.
Why do so Many Individuals Avoid Wearing Hearing Aids?
There’s truly no good reason.
Some don’t use them because they think that hearing aids make them appear older than they are. This notion persists in spite of the fact that nearly 25% of individuals over 65 have significant hearing loss, and 50% of those 75 and above have it. Hearing loss isn’t unusual. It happens to lots of people. And thanks to the increase in noise pollution and earbud usage, hearing loss is on the rise with people in their twenties.
Ironically, constantly asking people to repeat what they said often makes a person look much older than they are.
Some individuals cite the price of hearing aids. However, financing is available for hearing aids and prices have come down in the past few years.
Some people don’t like the way hearing aids sound. This can typically be corrected by simply working with your hearing specialist to learn how to more effectively use your hearing aid in various settings. Hearing aids don’t always fit and sound optimal on the first fitting and sometimes need a few tries.
If something is stopping you from wearing your hearing aid, it’s time to make an appointment with your hearing specialist.