Your hearing isn’t what it used to be. But if you’re like many folks, you’ve been doing your best to ignore the signs.
Maybe you nod your head and smile to cover up when you can’t quite make out what someone said. Or you crank up the volume on the TV a little louder.
And you’ve come up with so many excuses for avoiding noisy social situations… where you don’t have a chance of being able to follow the conversation… they’d fill a book.
Besides, hearing loss is harmless and just a normal part of aging, isn’t it? And you can’t do anything about it anyway, right?
Wrong. It’s FAR from harmless. You don’t have to lose your hearing. And you CAN reduce the hidden dangers of hearing loss.
The truth is hearing loss is costly. And, even worse, it’s dangerous. It can send your risk of dementia and accidents skyrocketing.
Accidents skyrocket 60% or MORE with hearing loss
Researchers at the University of California Irvine and Harvard Medical School analyzed data from a government survey of 232 million American adults. About half of the folks felt their hearing was less than excellent.
The truth is hearing loss is costly. And, even worse, it’s dangerous. It can send your risk of dementia and accidents skyrocketing.
When the researchers compared the degree of hearing loss to accidents, they were shocked by what they found. Those folks who felt they had a lot of trouble hearing were nearly TWICE as likely to be injured in an accident.
Slight hearing loss sent their risk of accidental injury skyrocketing by 60 percent. And moderate hearing loss increased risk by 70 percent.
And in another recent study, Johns Hopkins researchers found that untreated hearing loss led to a…
- 17 percent jump in ER and urgent care visits
- 50 percent rise in hospital stays
- 44 percent increase in being readmitted within a month
Experts say those complications could end up costing you thousands of extra dollars every year. And the bad news doesn’t end there.
Hearing loss could cause you to lose your marbles too. In fact, studies in the US, UK, and France, involving more than 16,000 older people, found links between hearing loss and developing dementia.
3 steps to fight hearing loss dangers
But now for the good news. You can start protecting… and even IMPROVING… your hearing while lowering your risk starting today. And it’s probably far easier than you imagine.
Following are three simple steps you can take to improve and protect your hearing.
1. Use a hearing aid:
Earlier I warned you that hearing loss and dementia often go hand in hand. But one group with hearing problems doesn’t have that increased risk. And that group is folks who use a hearing aid.
But to make this step work for you, you need to do it the right way. Those gizmos you see on TV that amplify sound likely won’t cut it. You need to have a customized, professionally fitted hearing aid.
And don’t worry. Hearing aids used to be clunky and obvious to others, but that’s changed. Many are now invisible. The best option is to have yourself tested to find out what’s best for you.
Keep in mind Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids. But some Medicare Advantage or Medigap plans will help with costs. If you’re a veteran, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs may cover your hearing aid. And some nonprofit organizations such as the Lions Club and Rotarians have recycled hearing aids programs or subsidies.
Regardless of the type you choose, a hearing aid can help you avoid accidents, stay mentally sharp, and enjoy life more. And it can even improve relationships.
2. Try “healthy hearing” vitamins:
Certain vitamins can protect against hearing loss, according to a Korean study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers looked at 1,910 people between the ages of 50 and 80 and found that those who took vitamins A, B, and C had better hearing. You’ll find all three in most quality multivitamins.
Experts say low folate and B12 levels could also spike your hearing loss risk by more than a third. Dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, citrus, nuts, and avocados can bump up your folate levels. While meat, fish, eggs, and dairy can raise B12.
And research shows that two servings of omega-3-fatty-acid rich cold-water fish a week can slash your risk for age-related hearing loss by 42 percent. Salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines are all excellent choices.
3. Play a musical instrument:
Believe it or not playing a musical instrument could help fight off hearing loss. It turns out it has a beneficial effect on the nerves that affect hearing.
Older musicians tend to have better hearing than others do, as they age. And they often have far less trouble hearing what people are saying in a noisy environment than the rest of us do.
The researchers at Northwestern University who uncovered this weird connection recommend learning a musical instrument at any age, even if you ALREADY have some hearing problems. And if you played one when you were younger, you’re already ahead of the game. So just, keep playing it.
She is an advocate of self-education and is passionate about the power of group knowledge sharing, like the kind found right here on HealthierTalk.com. Alice loves to share her views on holistic and natural healing as well as her, sometimes contentious, thoughts on the profit-driven inner workings of traditional medicine.
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