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Hearing aid health benefits
By Shantelle Shakes, coordinator, Hearing Directory Last updated on: April 4th, 2023 Research supports the health benefits of regular hearing aid use. Here's what the studies say. Those with hearing loss, whether mild, moderate or profound, can benefit from the use of hearing aids. Hearing aids can help you hear better and hearing well helps you navigate your surroundings safely, be more productive at work and stay connected to your loved ones. Aside from first-hand experiences of hearing aid users, there are many studies that show hearing aids can:
If you suspect you could benefit from wearing hearing aids, speak to a hearing professional. Hearing aids can treat hearing lossHearing aids are primarily designed to help those with a hearing impairment hear better. Noise reduction, directional microphones, rapid sound processing, and speech perception technology are some of the features hearing aids have to achieve that goal. A recent peer-review-pending study shows that hearing aids can improve the hearing abilities of those with hearing loss. It can even help those with hearing loss perform at similar levels to those without hearing loss. A study published in 2018 also shows an improvement in speech perception for children who were hearing aid users. This is particularly beneficial for children with hearing loss in classrooms or other noisy learning environments. 
Hearing aids can help address cognitive declineYour ears work with your brain to help you process and understand sounds. When your ears are not receiving sound properly, your brain has to work harder to help you hear. This added strain on your brain could increase your risk of cognitive decline. A study from the Alzheimer’s Association found that hearing loss was associated with a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment and accelerated cognitive decline. But there was no difference in risk between the hearing impaired participants who wore hearing aids and the ones with normal hearing. This suggests that hearing aids can help reduce your risk of cognitive decline if you have hearing loss. Hearing aids can help treat tinnitusTinnitus is often a symptom of hearing loss and hearing aids can provide treatment for both issues. Some hearing aids have built-in tinnitus masking technology to help relieve you of the ringing in your ears. In a small 2022 study, 19 patients with chronic tinnitus experienced noticeable tinnitus relief after six months of hearing aid use. Hearing aids can improve your social lifePart of productive communication involves active listening. Naturally, if you cannot hear well, your ability to understand and respond to others can decline as well. The academic journal Sage published a 2021 study on hearing aid use in social settings. There was a noticeable decrease in listening fatigue six months after participants were fitted with their first hearing aid. Participants also showed an increase in social activity. Buy hearing aids near youYou will need to be diagnosed with hearing loss to buy hearing aids in Canada. Many clinics offer free hearing tests to help determine if you have a hearing loss. There is no doctor referral required for a hearing test in Canada. You can also receive a free hearing aid trial to make sure your hearing aid is the right fit for you. Just ask your hearing professional. To book a hearing test, find a clinic near you today. Shantelle Shakes, coordinator, Hearing Directory
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Shantelle Shakes is the coordinator for Hearing Directory. She has over seven years of experience in the health industry, with six of those years in hearing healthcare. After graduating from York University with an honours BA in Professional Writing, Minor in Creative Writing, Shantelle began her marketing career with a major hearing healthcare provider. Through a variety of roles within that company, Shantelle gained a thorough understanding of hearing health and the client experience. She aims to use her knowledge of the industry as well as her communications background to help others understand their hearing and connect with the hearing care they need.