When you think about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, do you think about your hearing? Your 5 senses work together to help you navigate through the world, and your hearing plays an important role. Whether or not you’re currently experiencing challenges, your hearing health is essential to your overall well-being. 

Hearing loss is common, yet many people are embarrassed about getting the help they need. Understanding the importance of your hearing health can greatly improve your quality of life, both now and in the future. 

So, let’s debunk the stigma of hearing loss to prevent serious health problems.

Here are three common myths and the facts about hearing health:

MYTH #1: Only the elderly need to be concerned about hearing loss

FALSE! It is estimated that 4.6 Million Canadians experience hearing loss. While there is a sharp increase after the age of 40, 1 in 5 teens also have some type of challenge with their hearing. Early intervention is critical for both children and adults to experience improvements or even recovery in some circumstances. 

MYTH #2: Hearing loss doesn’t affect your other senses

WRONG! Your 5 senses work together to help you identify and decode your surroundings. When one sense is not working well, the other senses often compensate. Untreated hearing loss can lead to other cognitive challenges. In a recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine, even a slight hearing impairment puts you at an increased risk of developing dementia. When your brain has to work overtime to decode sound, it also hinders the ongoing mental process of multitasking. 

MYTH #3: Hearing aids are only for deaf people

NO! There are varying degrees of hearing impairments, and there are effective treatments for mild to severe hearing impairments. Delaying treatment of hearing loss until it is severe could cause more damage. Some impairment is genetic, while some are related to external factors experienced throughout childhood or even during the adult years like loud work environments, etc. The right hearing aid can greatly improve your quality of life even if you have a mild impairment.