It’s important to have things in life that bring you joy. For many, our hobbies are just that. Whether you like to garden, paint, play tennis or go for hikes at the North Loop Trail, hobbies keep your mind active and engaged and help you stay connected to others.
Unfortunately, untreated hearing loss can make many activities, including your hobbies, much more difficult.
Three Ways Hearing Loss Can Impact Your Hobbies
- Hearing loss makes it harder to communicate. Hearing loss makes it harder to understand speech. People can often sound like they are mumbling, or you may need to ask others to repeat themselves frequently. Many hobbies involve spending time with other people, whether it’s your teammates, walking buddies or fellow book club members. Not being able to communicate effectively with them makes these activities far less enjoyable.
- Hearing loss can increase your risk of accidents. Hearing loss can affect your balance and make you more prone to falls. If your hobby involves physical activity, this may make it more likely that you will injure yourself. Additionally, not being able to hear as well when you’re engaging in hobbies like cycling or woodworking could affect your ability to hear important sounds (like an oncoming car) and put you at risk of an accident.
- Hearing loss can make you feel more fatigued. Hearing loss forces you to increase your listening effort to try and process the sounds you are trying to hear throughout the day. This can lead to you feeling mentally fatigued more quickly and leave you with less energy to participate in your hobbies.
Hearing Aids Can Make Activities Easier
Studies have shown that leaving your hearing loss untreated can lead to reduced social activity and poorer quality of life. Thankfully, you can rediscover your joy by treating your hearing loss with hearing aids.
Hearing aids can help by making it easier to understand speech and socialize with others. They may also help improve your balance and reduce your risk of anxiety, depression and cognitive decline, all conditions which can make it harder to engage in the hobbies you love.
If you feel like hearing loss is getting in the way of living your best life, schedule an appointment for a hearing test by calling Western Montana Hearing and Speech today.