If you are like most people in the world, you have probably spent a lot of time at home in the last few months. It seems that “normal life” grounded to a halt when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and since then, many of us have been spending more time than usual in our homes. All of the places we regularly go—gyms, stores and shopping centers, restaurants, salons, and even many workplaces—have been closed.
If you are a hearing aid user and have been spending a lot of time at home lately, you may be tempted to not wear your hearing aids as often. This may be especially true if you live by yourself. After all, hearing aids are used for communication, right? So, if you are staying home and have no one you need to communicate with, it might seem unnecessary to use your hearing aids.
The truth, however, is that you should continue wearing your hearing aids, even when you are at home alone. Here are just a few reasons why this is so important:
- Hearing aids stimulate your brain.
Even if you are not leaving your house much, or perhaps especially if you are not leaving your house much, you want to continue to stimulate your brain.
In one study that followed 639 adults for almost 12 years, a research team at Johns Hopkins found that untreated mild hearing loss doubled a person’s risk for dementia. Those with untreated severe hearing loss were at even greater risk—they were 5 times more likely to develop dementia than those with normal hearing.
Hearing the incidental sounds that happen in your home every day helps to keep your brain active and processing sound. Even if you are not communicating directly with anyone on a daily basis, wearing your hearing aids will help to activate your brain.
- Hearing aids enable you to connect.
Even if you are not seeing people face-to-face much these days, your hearing aids can still help you stay connected. If you have a phone call or video call with a friend or family member, your hearing aids will enable you to better communicate with them.
Many modern hearing aids can also connect to devices like smartphones, tablets, and TVs. This allows you to stay up to date on the latest news and information that you might otherwise miss. Furthermore, if you have Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, you can use them to directly connect to phone calls, FaceTime calls, video chats.
You might be distanced geographically from your friends and family at this time, but that does not mean you cannot communicate and connect with them!
- Hearing aids are essential to your safety.
You are much better able to hear alarms and sirens when you are wearing your hearing aids. This makes it important to your safety—and the safety of others—that you continue wearing your hearing aids at home.
Plus, there are some sounds around your home that you are not sirens or alarms, but they might be important to your safety and the safe functioning of your home. If you are not wearing your hearing aids, you might miss these noises, such as an unusual noise being made by a home appliance or your car.
Wearing your hearing aids is important to your health and safety, even when you are at home. To learn more about the benefits of using hearing aids, we invite you to contact our hearing practice today. We look forward to caring for you!
