Hearing aids are supposed to be used daily. But you’re also supposed to wash out your milk containers before you recycle them. We don’t always do what we’re supposed to. It’s the same for hearing aids. Occasionally we forget to bring them with us. Perhaps you even go a day, or a week, or possibly a few weeks (a month?) without using your hearing aids.
That’s not great. Because when you don’t wear your hearing aids a number of things occur and some things already developing get worse. And the majority of them, honestly, aren’t very good.
Effects And Repercussions of Going Without Hearing Aids
Much of what occurs when you don’t wear your hearing aids will affect both your hearing health and your social life, each with varying degrees of severity and intensity. The effects and consequences of neglecting to use your hearing aids could include the following.
Your Degree of Hearing Loss Will Get Worse
Hearing aids are amazing gadgets. Not only do they let you hear sounds that you otherwise wouldn’t have, but they also keep your auditory complex running efficiently (that’s the region of your brain responsible for the interpretation of sounds).
If you “forget” to wear your hearing aids and, instead, turn up your TV to an even higher volume, you could be doing additional damage to your hearing. Even if you’re keeping the volumes in check, problems with your brain can result from the lack of sensory stimuli. (It actually shrinks.) So if you don’t use your hearing aids, your hearing will likely continue to get worse (which means you’ll need even more powerful hearing aids before long).
Social Engagement Will Become More Difficult (And Less Frequent)
You know those short conversations you have with the cashier as you’re checking out at the supermarket? They’re pleasant, we think. In a world dominated by technology, these little talks are a touch of humanity.
When you don’t wear your hearing aids, these basic social connections can quickly become a lot more challenging. You repeatedly miss parts of the conversation and have to ask people to repeat what they said. Again and again. And once that happens, the conversation just quickly becomes strained. That may not sound significant but each time a scenario like this occurs, you will tend to withdraw socially more and more. And the outcome can be even more serious.
Mental Decline And Hearing Aids
When you seclude yourself socially, your brain gets much less exercise. After you have a pleasant conversation with your family, think about how invigorated (or exhausted) you can feel. Without that exercise, particular mental processes can begin to decline (or decline faster). This could mean:
- Balance troubles
- Depression
- Declines in productivity or energy
- Memory issues
But there’s more. Because there are particular parts of your brain and nervous system that need to hear sounds. Without stimulation, certain nerves will begin to weaken, and your auditory complex begins to atrophy. This can make it more difficult to adjust to your new hearing aids and in the worst case speed up mental decline.
Hearing aids keep your brain active, stimulated, and happy (more or less).
Losing The Ability to be Independent
It’s not unusual, as you age, to require a little more help. Maybe you get a neighbor to mow your lawn or ask your daughter to swing by with groceries more often. You are probably to accelerate your loss of independence if you’re not wearing your hearing aids.
You can miss phone calls or fail to hear parts of conversations with your neighbor when you don’t use your hearing aids. You could miss important weather alerts. Maybe you fail to hear your dog barking when there’s someone at the door or your cat meowing in the morning when he needs food.
What’s The Solution?
No matter how technologically advanced hearing aids get, they won’t resolve all of life’s problems. But many of the problems associated with failing to wear your hearing aid can be solved.
If you’re having problems with your hearing aids or if they’re uncomfortable, that’s one thing (and you should talk to us about finding solutions to those particular issues).
But if you’re looking for reasons to refrain from using your hearing aids, if you’re just leaving them in the nightstand drawer, it’s worth taking some time to reflect on what may be gained by using them… and what could happen if you don’t wear your hearing aids.
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