It’s crazy to say, but the holiday season is already upon us. For many, that means planning trips or organizing gatherings with our loved ones. While these events are no doubt joyful, they also can also be overwhelming.
For people with hearing loss, large holiday events can lead to feelings of anxiety, sadness and even loneliness because of their impaired ability to communicate and connect with others.
Thankfully, hearing aids can greatly reduce these communication issues and make connecting with others possible this holiday season.
Hearing Loss and Social Isolation
Typically, one of the first signs of hearing loss is that speech becomes harder to understand. Voices may sound muffled, or you find yourself asking others to repeat themselves a lot. Following conversations can be even harder at larger holiday events, whether at someone’s house or a restaurant like The Village Tavern.
Eventually, feelings of frustration over not being able to communicate may cause you to avoid social events and start to isolate. Not only can this isolation actually worsen your hearing loss, but it can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety and potentially even an increased risk for cognitive decline and dementia.
Let Hearing Aids Help You This Holiday Season
Hearing aids improve your ability to communicate and let you connect with your loved ones during the holidays and beyond.
A study published in 2021 compared two groups of people with hearing loss. One group was made up of people who were going to be fitted with their first hearing aids, while the second group left their hearing loss untreated. Researchers found that after six months, “social activity level increased and social participation restriction decreased significantly after hearing aid fitting in the intervention group compared to the control group.”
Hearing aids reduce miscommunication, lower frustration levels and make it easier to have a real conversation and maintain your connection with those you love.
The holidays are all about catching up with family members you haven’t seen since last year and spending quality time laughing and playing with your grandchildren. The sooner you schedule a hearing test and find the right pair of hearing aids that meet your individual needs, the sooner you can stop worrying about your hearing loss and start to truly enjoy the holidays again.
To speak with a hearing specialist or to schedule an appointment, call North Shore Audio-Vestibular Lab today.