Hearing aids can help you thrive

Aging in the 2020s is not as it was in the 1920s. We are the most informed and active aging generation that has ever lived, with fitness and wellbeing influencers of all ages everywhere you look, and plenty of scientific research to help people adapt to the changes that occur during the golden years of our lives.
 
You can get ahead of some of the most common health challenges that come with aging, like heart disease, diabetes, and even dementia, with simple actions that will help you add joy to your daily life. You can truly make the best of one of the best times of your life with three simple tips:

Get your steps in

Incorporating some physical activity into your daily routine will make a massive difference in how you feel as you age. With as little as 10 minutes of exercise a day, experts have found a 17 per cent reduction in cardiovascular disease, a seven per cent decrease in cancer risk and 23 per cent lower chance of early death¹. Add to these findings a brain health boost with improved mood, decreased dementia risk, and improved overall mental health.

Gift your brain a hearing aid

It is well known that hearing loss is common among older adults. It not only hinders work and relationships, but it also has links to various health issues like dementia, depression, falls, and social isolation². Thankfully, hearing aids can help mitigate these effects³.
 
A recent study⁴ found that seniors at higher risk of dementia who use hearing aids have an almost 50 per cent reduction in subsequent cognitive decline compared with those who don’t⁵ . It has also been reported that people who wear hearing aids are half as likely to fall as those who don’t⁶, with individuals who consistently use hearing aids reducing their fall risk to less than a third compared with non-users.
 
Hearing devices have been around for over a century, yet it’s estimated that only five per cent of Canadians wear them⁷. It is a staggeringly low percentage compared to the approximately 60 per cent of adults aged 19-79 who have hearing loss in Canada⁸. It is concerning that most individuals with hearing loss aren't aware of it, as hearing loss can occur gradually. Data shows that, on average, it can take as long as seven years for someone experiencing a hearing issue to seek help⁹.

Sharing is caring

Besides getting your hearing in check, one more thing you can do to live a healthier life is connecting with others. Social connection can positively influence your health, as it reduces the risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, diabetes, stroke, and early death¹⁰.
 
Around the world, mental health professionals are advocating for ‘social prescriptions’ for patients experiencing depression, anxiety, or loneliness¹¹. These social prescriptions include social activities like taking yoga classes, visiting an art gallery, or joining a knitting circle. In the U.K., where social prescriptions have been around for a number of years, research  has shown that patients not only benefit from a mental health boost, but many also end up requiring fewer visits to their doctor and even a reduction in the medications they take.

Add these three simple tips up and you will have a simple formula to make your golden years shine brighter: getting exercise, having your hearing checked, and connecting with others. Want to have a free hearing test? Click here to take a free, 5-minute online hearing test from Widex..

¹  How much physical activity do adults need? | Physical Activity | CDC
²  The Hidden Risks of Hearing Loss | Johns Hopkins Medicine
³  Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the USA (ACHIEVE): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial - The Lancet
⁴  Hearing Loss and Incident Dementia | Dementia and Cognitive Impairment | JAMA Neurology | JAMA Network
⁵  Hearing Loss and Dementia Prevalence in Older Adults in the US | Otolaryngology | JAMA | JAMA Network
⁶  Consistent hearing aid use is associated with lower fall prevalence and risk in older adults with hearing loss - Campos - 2023 - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society - Wiley Online Library
⁷  Hard to hear: research listens to Canadians on hearing and communication during pandemic (newswire.ca)
⁸  Hearing health of Canadian adults (statcan.gc.ca)
⁹  HLAA_HearingLoss_Facts_Statistics.pdf
¹⁰  Health Risks of Social Isolation and Loneliness | CDC
¹¹  The Connection Prescription: Using the Power of Social Interactions and the Deep Desire for Connectedness to Empower Health and Wellness - PMC (nih.gov)
¹²  Evidence - National Academy for Social Prescribing | NASP (socialprescribingacademy.org.uk)