How Hearing Contributes to Your Health and Wellbeing

Your ears aren’t just for hearing. A growing body of evidence suggests that maintaining good hearing health, including hearing aids and other therapeutic interventions, can help guard against cognitive decline, feelings of isolation and other potential problems.

Increasing awareness of how to protect our hearing from childhood to adulthood means we can all look forward to more years of better hearing – and better health.

The Link Between Hearing and Health

What are we talking about when we talk about ‘health’? The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) says, ‘Health can be viewed as the presence or absence of disease or medically measured risk factors in an individual’.¹ The AIHW further notes several ‘determinants of health’, including:

• Broad features of society
• Environmental factors
• Socioeconomic characteristics
• Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs
• Health behaviours
• Psychological factors
• Safety factors
• Biological factors

Several of these determinants can directly affect our hearing, including socioeconomic, behavioural, psychological and biological factors, meaning good overall health is beneficial for hearing health. 

Cognitive Health: Do We Think Better With Hearing Aids?

Hearing and cognitive health are strongly connected. One study found that hearing loss leads to faster cognitive decline and is associated with increased dementia risk.²
However, significant evidence shows that using hearing aids can reduce or perhaps even eliminate this risk.³ There are even speculations that using hearing aids can boost thinking skills.⁴

Hearing and Balance

Hearing and balance are intimately connected. The vestibular system is responsible for balance and our ability to locate ourselves in space. It shares nerve pathways with the hearing system, and the inner ear houses its critical components.⁵
The two functions are parts of the same system, meaning people with hearing loss are more likely to experience balance disorders. If you’re experiencing dizziness or having trouble with balance, it’s worth consulting a hearing care professional or your GP to determine the cause.

Hearing and Wellbeing

In recent years, we’ve become more aware of how social and emotional wellbeing can impact our health. Isolation and depression are growing problems, but good hearing can help reduce the impact of both. 
For those with hearing loss, using hearing aids can significantly reduce feelings of social isolation and depression, and improve independence. Notably, one study found that hearing aid users score better on physical summaries, show less decline in vitality and have better quality of life than non-hearing aid users.⁶

Healthy Hearing, Healthy Life?

Healthy hearing is an essential part of a healthy life - for those with and without hearing loss. Even if you have hearing loss, using a hearing aid can restore function and help you avoid many problems you’d otherwise experience. 
Visit our expert team who will check your ears and recommend how to keep your hearing in the best shape possible. Book an appointment at your local Connect Hearing clinic today.

References:

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (7 July 2022), What is health?, Australian Government, accessed 19 March 2024. 

2. National Institute on Aging (19 October 2017), What’s the connection between hearing and cognitive health? | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov), National Institutes of Health [US], accessed 15 March 2024.

3. Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (14 May 2023), University of Auckland, How hearing aids can help prevent cognitive decline, University of Auckland, accessed 19 March 2024.

4. Harvard Health Publishing (1 March 2023), Hearing aids: Can they help thinking skills, too?, Harvard Medical School, accessed 19 March 2024.

5. Healthy Hearing (3 January 2022), Balance and hearing are connected within the inner ear - why this matters (healthyhearing.com), Healthy Hearing, accessed 19 March 2024.

6. National Library of Medicine (n.d.), ‘Psychosocial Impacts’, The Connection Between Hearing Loss and Healthy Aging, National Institutes of Health [US], accessed 19 March 2024.