Want to Fight Aging? Do This First

Everyone wants to stay youthful for as long as they can. From wrinkle creams to Botox to special diets to spin class, we spend a great number of hours every day doing what we can to slow the steady march of aging. And yet, even with all that effort (and all that time), we have a tendency to avoid doing one easy thing that could actually work: safeguarding our ears.

Hearing impairment is often one of those "signs of aging" that we often think of as inevitable. But it's not that simple. By safeguarding your ears (and treating them with a bit of kindness as you go), you can help avoid harm and keep your hearing in great shape. And as the years go on, great hearing can have significant anti-aging benefits.

Hearing And Aging

When we talk about "aging" we don't usually mean the actual passage of time. Instead, specific mental. emotional, or physical changes are indications that a person is getting older. A perfect example of this is pain in your joints. When your knees start to hurt, you might associate that with "growing old". But lifestyle has as much to do with this as does age.

The same will also apply to many types of hearing loss. There's an accumulation of damage as you age. And in most situations, it's the build-up of damage that leads to the actual hearing deterioration. And that's when things can begin to grow out of control. Untreated hearing loss has been associated with several other signs of aging:

• Studies have shown a strong connection between untreated hearing loss, depression, and anxiety.
• Self isolation from family and friends can be the consequence of untreated hearing loss.
• The onset of mental issues, including dementia, can often be hastened by ignored or unnoticed hearing loss.
• In some instances, the mental burden associated with attempting to hear can lead to issues such as memory loss or insomnia. And that might make you feel like you're aging in an especially profound way.

So How do I Combat Age-Related Hearing Loss?

When you combat the "signs of aging" in your ears, you're really placing a focus on controlling damage. And it's fortunate that we can achieve that using several methods. For example, you can:

• Try to avoid loud noises as much as you can. And when you can't avoid high volume locations, use hearing protection. So when you go see that concert with your favorite musician, be sure to use earplugs.
• If you happen to work in a somewhat noisy setting, wear hearing protection. With modern quality ear muffs, loud sounds are filtered out while you can still hear people talking clearly.
• Raise your awareness. It's not only the painfully loud noises that can cause harm. Moderate noise for extended periods of time can cause injury to your ears, too.

All of these actions will help safeguard your hearing. But in order to keep your hearing in good condition you can do one more thing: make an appointment with us for a hearing exam. Making certain you get hearing examinations regularly can help you discover hearing loss before it's even recognizable. You should still have an exam even if your hearing is normal so that you can have a baseline to compare against in the future.

Keep Your Hearing Healthy With Hearing Aids

The world we live in can be noisy. Your ability to avoid damage is critical, but you may eventually notice some hearing loss even with your best efforts. You need to get help as soon as possible if you do detect any symptoms of hearing loss. Some of the age related problems linked to hearing loss can be prevented with a good pair of set aids.

You could maybe consider hearing aids as a facelift for your ears: something to make your ears to perform a little more youthfully. And that can help keep depression, dementia, and other issues from increasing. This example only goes so far since a facelift is cosmetic and hearing aids are essential. Wrinkle creams might help you look younger. But if you actually want to battle aging and feel somewhat more youthful, your best bet is to safeguard your ears and take care of your hearing loss.