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Want to Be Happier in 2017? Get Your Hearing Tested
When you’re making your list of New Year’s resolutions and to-dos for 2017, be sure to put this one near the top: a hearing test. That’s right. Research shows that when people address hearing loss it improves their quality of life in many ways. And it’s no wonder. Ignoring a hearing loss and leaving it unaddressed can be exhausting, lead to isolation, and has been tied to an assortment of health conditions, including depression, diminished cognitive function, and an increased risk of falling. But when people get a hearing test and use professionally fitted and individually programmed hearing aids—when recommended by a hearing care professional—most say they’re happy with the improvements they see in multiple areas of their lives. Here are just a few potential perks of treating hearing loss that may surprise you:
- Your spirits may brighten. People with hearing loss who use hearing aids are less likely to feel down, depressed or hopeless, BHI research shows.
- Your relationships may benefit. Most people with hearing loss who use hearing aids say it has a positive effect on their relationships, according to a BHI survey. Research also finds that they’re more likely to have a strong social network.
- You may start to see life’s sunny side a little more. People with hearing loss who use hearing aids are more likely to be optimistic, feel engaged in life, and even get more pleasure in doing things, BHI research finds.
- Taking the reins on life might become easier. BHI research shows that people with hearing loss who use hearing aids are more likely to tackle problems actively. Not a bad New Year’s resolution in and of itself.
- It may lighten your cognitive load. Experts say that effortful listening due to unaddressed hearing loss is associated with increased stress and poorer performance on memory tests. If you don’t have to put so much effort into listening due to untreated hearing loss, more cognitive resources may be available for other things—like remembering what was said, or enjoying the conversation with friends.
So, go ahead. Make a hearing test one of the New Year’s resolutions you keep in 2017. Do it for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.
