You’re supposed to use your hearing aids every day. But you’re also supposed to rinse out your milk containers before recycling them. We don’t always do what we’re supposed to. So yeah, you skip taking your hearing aids out of their storage container now and then. You might even forget to wear it for more than a day.
That isn’t a really smart idea. Because there are a number of things that happen (or continue to happen) when you don’t wear your hearing aids. And, honestly, the majority of them are rather negative.
Effects And Consequences of Not Using Your Hearing Aids
There will be consequences of varying levels of intensity and severity, both to your health and social life, if you don’t wear your hearing aid. The effects and repercussions of failing to wear your hearing aids could include the following.
Your Degree of Hearing Loss Will Worsen
Hearing aids are impressive gadgets. Not only do they let you hear sounds that you normally wouldn’t have, but they also keep your auditory complex running smoothly (that’s the region of your brain responsible for interpreting sounds).
If you “forget” to wear your hearing aids and, instead, turn your TV up to an even louder volume, you may be doing further damage to your hearing. Even if you aren’t raising the volume, the lack of sensory input leads to problems with your brain. (It actually shrinks.) So you’ll probably wind up needing more powerful hearing aids in the future if you fail to use your current pair because your hearing will keep getting worse.
Social Engagement Will Become More Challenging (And Less Frequent)
You know when you go to the market and you get into a short discussion with the cashier? Those conversations are nice. A nice little touch of humanity in a technology-driven world.
These normal social interactions suddenly become very difficult when you don’t wear your hearing aids. You frequently miss parts of the conversation and have to ask people to repeat themselves. Over and over. And that’s when the conversation becomes really awkward. Maybe that sounds superficial, but every bit you withdraw into yourself makes it that much easier to entirely seclude yourself socially. And the consequences can be even more serious.
Hearing Aids And Mental Decline
Your brain doesn’t get nearly as much exercise when you seclude yourself. Think about how invigorated (or exhausted) you can feel after a good conversation or an enjoyable evening meal with your family. Without that exercise, particular mental processes can start to decline (or decline faster). This could mean:
- Declines in energy or productivity
- Balance issues
- Memory issues
- Depression
But that’s not all. Because there are particular parts of your brain and nervous system that thrive on hearing sounds. Without stimulation, certain nerves will start to weaken, and your auditory complex begins to atrophy. This can make it harder to adjust to your new hearing aids and in the worst case speed up cognitive decline.
Your brain remains happy, stimulated, and active when you use hearing aids.
Losing The Ability to be Independent
It’s not unusual, as you get older, to require a bit more help. Perhaps you ask a neighbor to mow your lawn or ask your son to swing by with groceries more often. You are probably speeding up your loss of independence if you’re not wearing your hearing aids.
When you don’t wear your hearing aids, it can rapidly become more difficult to answer the phone or talk with your neighbor. You might miss important weather alerts. Maybe you don’t hear your cat meowing for food at night or your dog barking at somebody ringing your doorbell.
What’s The Solution?
Using a hearing aid won’t solve all of life’s problems, no matter how technologically inventive those little gadgets get. But many of the issues connected to failing to use your hearing aid can be solved.
You need to come see us for assistance if you’re having problems with your hearing aids or if they are not comfortable.
It’s worth taking some time to think about what the consequences will be if you avoid using your hearing aids and also what the benefits of using them may be.
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/otolaryngology/specialty_areas/hearing/faq.html
https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20140128/hearing-loss-tied-to-faster-brain-shrinkage-with-age
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/ce-corner-isolation