By now, you may have a bunch of resolutions listed to focus more on what is going to keep you fit, healthy and happy, but have you also considered your hearing health?

Here we bring you our TOP FIVE reasons to make hearing health a priority and help you kick-start a great year.

1. Mental Health

First of all, hearing loss can lead to high levels of stress in your life, which can ultimately deteriorate your health and overall quality of life.  Studies have shown that people with untreated hearing loss suffer fatigue, depression as well as higher levels of anxiety, social isolation, and withdrawal.  This is why it is so important to make your hearing health a priority and seek the advice of a hearing health care professional, such as an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist, as they are the experts in hearing evaluation and the treatment of hearing loss.

2. Social Interaction

Hearing loss has not only been known to diminish an individual’s quality of life, but it can also lead you to feel isolated in social settings such as dinners, parties or family gatherings.  Getting your hearing tested should be encouraged for those who suspect a hearing loss. It is a necessary step towards a better quality of life because when we lose our hearing, we can lose our connections to the people who matter in our lives.

3. Creating Balance

For those who are living with untreated hearing loss, straining to hear all day is hard work!  It takes a large amount of energy and mental concentration to hear all day with a less than perfect auditory system.  Just imagine trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together but someone forgot to tell you that a few were missing from the box.   This extra load on our cognitive system is responsible for increased fatigue and irritability among those with untreated hearing loss but is also linked to an increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline.

4. Personal Safety

Whether it’s your inability to hear a horn blowing or to hear sirens while driving, an approaching vehicle when crossing the street, or a shout or warning of danger, it is mandatory to be aware of your surroundings and balance your paces accordingly. Untreated hearing loss puts your personal safety, as well as the safety of those around you, at risk. Individuals who suffer a hearing loss, but do not wear hearing aids should consider not just their safety, but that of their family, friends, and co-workers too.

5. Future Hearing Ability

With everything we know today about the negative effects of untreated hearing loss there is one important thing all of us can do to ensure we are hearing as well as we can: get a baseline hearing test! Regular check-ups will lead to early detection and treatment of hearing loss which is by far the best way to lower your risk of developing any of the negative effects discussed above.  Moreover, it has been shown that hearing aids can help to slow down cognitive decline as well as slow the progression of further hearing loss.

So now that you’re aware, do not neglect your hearing health in 2019. Schedule an appointment with a hearing healthcare clinic and get your hearing tested today. If you are in Canada, you can book a free, no obligation appointment through the Campaign for Better Hearing. Click the button in the top right to get started!

Are you ready to start your journey to better hearing? If you are a Canadian over the age of 18 who may have hearing loss, book a free hearing test with us today!