{"id":17199,"date":"2023-05-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/hearing-aids-rising-prevent-hearing-loss-7499736\/"},"modified":"2023-05-19T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-19T00:00:00","slug":"hearing-aids-rising-prevent-hearing-loss-7499736","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/hearing-aids-rising-prevent-hearing-loss-7499736\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Start Wearing Hearing Aids? Experts Note the Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"
\nHearing aids aren\u2019t just useful after your hearing has been severely damaged, experts suggest that younger people turn to hearing aids as a form of hearing damage prevention.\n<\/p>\n
\nHearing aid technology has significantly progressed in recent years. Simultaneously, younger generations are experiencing hearing loss earlier in life.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 13% of adults over age 18 have some hearing loss.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThe recent attention on hearing loss in younger generations has been a critical driver of acceptance of hearing aids among younger people, Shannon M. Van Hyfte, AuD, CCC-A, clinical associate professor in the department of speech, language, and hearing sciences at Purdue University, told Health<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n \nAnecdotally, Van Hyfte said she\u2019s seen more people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s seeking out hearing aids. Historically, her patients being fitted for hearing aids have been in their 70s.\n<\/p>\n \nAccording to the Hearing Loss Association of America, patients generally wait an average of 7 years to take action from the time they recognize they\u2019re hard of hearing.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nBut a number of factors converging have begun to normalize hearing aids, especially as sleeker options hit stores.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThere\u2019s been this trifecta in the past 5 years or so of people being more aware of hearing loss, people having more desire to protect hearing, and over-the-counter hearing aids coming on the market,\u201d Van Hyfte explained, adding that mask-wearing during the pandemic also likely drove more awareness of hearing loss that people didn\u2019t realize they had until visual cues were taken away.\n<\/p>\n Should You Buy Hearing Aids at Costco?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nAccording to Timothy Hullar, MD, a professor of otolaryngology at the Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, the short answer is no, you will not cause damage by starting to wear a hearing aid earlier in life.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThe logic might be that people think their ears will get lazy\u2014the concept of use it or lose it\u2014but the ears don\u2019t get tired,\u201d Dr. Hullar said. \u201cWhat you\u2019re really trying to do is help the brain hear things and understand things that are in the auditory world around you.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nHearing damage is caused by excess noise that reaches the ear drum. Although it\u2019s possible to turn the volume up on a hearing aid, most models have a system that limits the amount of noise being amplified.\n<\/p>\n \nDr. Hullar noted that modern-day hearing aids often connect to peoples\u2019 TVs or phones through Bluetooth. This allows people to hear media exceptionally well while potentially reducing the volume at which people listen to shows, movies, and music.\n<\/p>\n \nAdditionally, Dr. Hullar said using over-the-counter hearing aids can be a good option for people who are just starting to experience hearing loss and would like to try them out. Van Hyfte went a step further, recommending that anyone who thinks they may benefit from a hearing aid get a custom-fitted device following a hearing test.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cI don\u2019t see using hearing aids earlier in life as a big threat,\u201d she said. \u201cI actually am more fearful that people will have a negative experience and equate that to what all hearing aids might be like.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nOver-the-counter hearing aids can be pricey, and people may need to try a few before they find one that\u2019s right for them, which can end up costing more than a visit to a hearing specialist, even when insurance doesn\u2019t cover the visit, she added.\n<\/p>\n \nThe devices also work differently than prescription hearing aids.\n<\/p>\n \nWhen ordering a prescription hearing aid, an audiologist will put details about a person\u2019s hearing loss into a computer and digitally program a chip in the device. That chip will make sure the hearing aid only amplifies the frequencies the person needs amplified, and only by the amount they need.\n<\/p>\n \nHearing aids may also need reprogramming about every 5 to 7 years, as a person\u2019s hearing changes.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThat gives a tailored hearing experience whereas the OTC hearing aid is a more broad approach\u2014like when you turn your music up in your earbuds and everything goes up rather than just certain frequencies,\u201d Van Hyfte explained. \u201cNothing is one size fits all when it comes to our ears, even between the right and left ears.\u201d\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nWhether or not someone is choosing to use a hearing aid, the basis of hearing health is rooted in protection.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThe first thing is to know when your hearing is at risk,\u201d said Dr. Hullar. \u201cAnytime people are in an environment where their ears ring afterward, their hearing has been damaged and we currently don\u2019t have any way of overcoming that other than a hearing aid.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nHow much hearing loss a person experiences from an event depends on how long someone\u2019s ears are enduring it. Dr. Hullar emphasizes the importance of minimizing your overall lifetime exposure to damaging noise and thinking about mitigation strategies the same way you think about sunscreen.\n<\/p>\n \nUsing noise-canceling ear muffs and ear plugs at noisy events or while close to loud noise for a period of time\u2014like while mowing the lawn\u2014is one of the best ways to avoid damage.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cWe know that hearing loss from noise is 100% preventable if we have the right kind of hearing protection,\u201d Van Hyfte added.\n<\/p>\n \nEveryday exposure to noise can also cause accumulative damage. Dr. Hullar recommends being extra cautious when listening to music or calls through headphones that are not noise-canceling.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cBecause they don\u2019t filter out other noise, they could cause people to listen to things louder,\u201d he explained, noting that noise-canceling headphones can be safer for hearing health.\n<\/p>\n \nVan Hyfte offered another rule of thumb people can use to protect their hearing in everyday situations: \u201cIf you are talking to somebody an arm\u2019s length away and you need to raise your voice to be heard, that\u2019s too loud.\u201d\n<\/p>\n The 12 Best Hearing Aids of 2022<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" About 13% of adults over the age of 18 experience at least some hearing loss. While hearing aids are stereotypically worn by older individuals, some experts note that beginning to wear hearing aids earlier in life could serve as a preventative measure. Experts strongly advise individuals of all ages to be aware of close proximity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[925,410],"tags":[926,116],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17199"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17199\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Can Using a Hearing Aid Earlier in Life Cause Harm? <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Protection Is Key, With or Without a Hearing Aid <\/span> <\/h2>\n