Mile High Hearing is excited to announce a new addition to our website and social media content…a hearing healthcare blog! As Audiologists we make it a high priority to provide excellent, comprehensive audiologic services. We value the opportunity to educate our patients, other healthcare professionals, and the general population about the importance of maintaining good hearing health and the rehabilitative options available for hearing loss and/or tinnitus. With that being said…“hear’s” to our first blog.

What is your favorite sound of the season? Is it the laugh of your child or grandchild, your favorite Christmas song, or snow crunching beneath your feet? No matter the sound, it is not one you want to miss out on this year or any other year. However, research has shown that on average it takes a person around 7-10 years to seek professional help for difficulty hearing. There are many reasons why people wait to consult with an audiologist (we’ll explore this in a future blog post), but what about all the reasons not to wait?

The holiday season is a busy time of the year; time with family and friends, holiday shows, shopping, holiday parties, and much more. Many of these situations tend to be difficult listening environments with background noise, group conversations, and reverberant environments. Hearing loss makes those types of environments extremely challenging to understand a conversation and less than enjoyable. Over time, people with hearing loss can begin to withdraw from those types of social situations and limit interactions with people. A quote we often reference when discussing the functional impact of hearing loss is by Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, “Not being able to see isolates you from objects. Not being able to hear isolates you from people.”

Unfortunately, research shows that people with hearing loss are at a much greater risk of negative general health and mental health problems. Check out these reasons why hearing healthcare should be a priority.

  1. Hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of depression in adults of all ages. The use of hearing aids to manage hearing loss has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms.
  2. Hearing loss is linked to an increased risk of falling or hospitalization. A mild hearing loss can increase the risk of falling by nearly three times.
  3. Hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. Research is now showing that hearing aids can eliminate or reduce that extra risk of developing dementia that we see with untreated hearing loss.  
  4. Hearing loss can impact annual income. People with untreated hearing loss could lose as much as $30,000 in annual income. What about treated or managed hearing loss? You guessed it, hearing aids dramatically reduce the risk of lost income.

During a season when there are so many opportunities to make cherished memories, the importance of managing hearing healthcare becomes very apparent. The first step to managing hearing loss and/or tinnitus is to have your hearing diagnostically evaluated by an Audiologist. The Audiologists at Mile High Hearing are here to support you in your journey to better hearing.