Carolina patients who have been diagnosed with hearing loss will most likely benefit from hearing aids. After all, nine out of 10 people with impaired hearing across the U.S. are treated with hearing aids. If you’re wondering exactly what hearing aids will do for you, the answer is simple: a lot!
How Do Hearing Aids Work?
There’s a good reason your North Carolina audiologist recommends hearing aids for treating most cases of hearing loss: these hardworking, sophisticated instruments are surprisingly adept at restoring your quality of life and preventing many associated health complications.
Regardless of the type of hearing aid you choose – and we get it, there are many different styles available – they all do the same thing: amplify sounds so you can hear better and communicate more effectively. Doing so requires three components essential to all hearing aids: a microphone, amplifier, and speaker. The microphone picks up external sound waves and converts them to digital signals. They are sent to the amplifier, which increases their power and makes them louder. From there, they are transmitted to the speaker and sent into the ear through a thin tube or wire. The brain converts these electronic signals into recognizable sound. It’s a pretty remarkable process when you think about it!
The Benefits of Hearing Aids
If you are experiencing hearing loss in North Carolina, your audiologist wants you to understand that hearing aids won’t cure your impairment. But they will improve your overall quality of life by providing benefits in many crucial areas.
Untreated hearing loss is linked to a number of physical, psychological, and social complications, including:
- Depression
- Memory impairment
- Concentration difficulties
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Isolation and social withdrawal
- Poor job performance
- Reduced earning power
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Dementia
- Cardiovascular disease
Not only does treating your hearing loss with hearing aids reduce your risk for all of the above; 78.6 percent of users are satisfied with their hearing aids, a number that has increased by six percent since 2004. A majority of patients report improvements in many areas, including higher self-confidence, better relationships with loved ones, and increased earning power.
Hearing aids won’t only help you understand others better – they’re likely to make you happier and healthier, too!