Hearing Aids: Types And Benefits Of Wearing Them For More Than Just Hearing

Hearing aids were invented in the 17th century to help those with hearing loss from the very young to the elderly. Even though their main job is to aid in hearing, there are also other benefits of wearing a pair of hearing aids on your ears.

Types of Hearing Aids

 There are many different types of hearing aids, including:

• IC (In the Canal): This type of hearing aid is very small and fits inside the ear canal so it is not easily seen.
• ITE (In the Ear): This type of hearing aid is larger, as it has a shell that sits on the outside of the ear, with the actual ear piece fitted inside the ear.
• BTE (Behind the Ear): This hearing aids has a small plastic piece that sits behind the ear, and connects to a mold via a clear tubing to the ear piece that sits inside the ear

Reduce Chance of Falling

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, hearing loss affects balance, which can lead to falls. This is especially dangerous to the elderly, because their bones are less dense and can break easily.

The ear is comprised of three parts: the inner ear, middle ear, and outer ear. The inner ear is responsible for hearing, as well as balance. The inner ear is also known as the labyrinth, because of its complex nature of vestibular, bone, tissue, cochlea, and canals. If the average person were to look at the inner ear, it would like a very complicated maze, but all of these things work together to control hearing.

The brain and the vestibular talk to each other and let the body know the correct position in respect to gravity, and then make the right coordination so there is no dizziness, blurred vision, etc. When there is a problem with hearing, it can cause problems with the vestibular system, which can cause problems with balance.

Help Prevent Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease

According to the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), hearing loss has been linked to Alzheimer's disease. This is because the area of the brain that is responsible for hearing is very close to the area of the brain where Alzheimer starts. According to a study done by U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health, hearing loss has also been associated with dementia.

An elderly person that cannot hear well may seem to have symptoms of dementia, as they may not be able to understand things spoken to them, as well as to speak as clearly due to the hearing problem.

If you have a family member that has any signs of hearing loss, take him or her to an audiologist for a hearing test as soon as you can. The doctor will determine if hearing aids are needed, as well as the best type for him or her.

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