Beverly Hills Hearing Center was founded in 1983 by Bonnie Baehr. Prior to that, Dr. Baehr practiced at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles as a staff audiologist for seven years. She was involved with diagnostic testing, hearing aid evaluations, research and rehabilitation. Dr. Baehr did her clinical fellowship training at the Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in downtown Los Angeles. She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology, American Speech Language and Hearing Association, California Academy of Audiology and Academy of Doctors of Audiology. Bonnie enjoys hiking in her free time.
Latest posts by Bonnie L. Baehr, Au.D. (see all)
- Hearing Aids Can Improve Your Quality of Life - July 22, 2019
- Comorbidities of Hearing Loss - July 10, 2019
- Q&A About Hearing Loss - June 26, 2019
Hearing loss impacts close to 48 million Americans, which makes it the third most common health problem in the United States, trailing only behind heart disease and arthritis. With hearing loss being so prevalent in the U.S., only 20 percent of those who could gain from using a hearing aid actually do so. There are many reasons why this may be the case — from social stigma towards hearing aid usage to the cost of hearing devices. Although investing in your hearing health may be significant, untreated hearing loss costs even more. Living with untreated loss could lead to other health issues like social isolation, depression, and even dementia. Invest in your health and be on the right path towards treating your hearing health today.
Living with Untreated Hearing Loss
Many studies have revealed that untreated hearing loss leads to other health complications. In recent decades, a growing body of research that link hearing loss to cognitive decline. This includes the potential for diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A 2011 John Hopkin’s study found that participants with severe hearing loss were five times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those without hearing loss. Not only is our cognitive health impacted by untreated hearing loss, our mental health is as well. Those with untreated hearing loss start to withdraw from social situations due to the rising difficulty in engaged conversations. This continued social isolation potentially leads to more serious mental health issues like depression. If the links between hearing loss weren’t enough, studies have also shown that untreated hearing loss leads to physical injuries as well. The inability to hear sounds surrounding your while walking or moving around could lead to heightened falls and slips. All of these factors reveal the importance of why you should get your hearing tested today.
Treat Your Hearing Loss Early
The average American waits roughly seven years from the time they notice changes in their hearing to the time they get their hearing treated. Not only will one lose out on many conversations, interactions, and opportunities, but also face a greater increased risk of other health conditions. Despite these realities, many people may have preconceived notions that hearing loss is only worth treating once it gets worse. This thought is the farthest from the truth.
The longer one goes on with untreated hearing loss, the more damage it does to our brain’s ability to pick up sound. With full hearing, our brain uses already established neural pathways to interpret sounds. As our hearing declines, more of the brain’s resources are needed to be able to pick up sounds. The sooner one treats hearing loss and gets equipped with hearing assistance, the easier it is to retain more of the way one naturally hears for longer. Waiting to treat hearing loss moves the brain further away from its natural hearing patterns.
Benefits of Treating Hearing loss
The most obvious reason to treat your hearing loss is to retain your hearing ability for years to come. But there are also many other reasons as to why you should treat your hearing loss sooner than later. By treating your hearing loss with a hearing device, you gain better communication within your life. Hearing loss treatment enables you to connect with the people in your life and sustain the relationships that matter.
Another benefit from treating hearing loss is that of building stronger relationships. For those with hearing loss, it is common to socially isolate yourself from friends and family. Loved ones of a person with hearing loss also face frustrations as they have to bear the burden of helping the person with hearing loss understand what is being said to them. Getting treatment also improves performance at work. With untreated hearing loss, you may face struggles of missing important details and duties to complete a job task. Also, it could create rifts between you, colleagues, and supervisors. By treating hearing loss, you will regain the ability to hear and perform better at the workplace.
Lastly, hearing loss treatment improves cognitive, mental, and physical health. Research has shown that untreated hearing loss accelerates cognitive decline, increases chances for depression, as well as physical slips and falls.
Reach Out to Beverly Hills Hearing Center Today
If you or a loved one is facing hearing loss, don’t wait another day to get your hearing tested. With all the research that shows hearing health being linked to overall health, it is vital to take of your hearing health. Reach out to our hearing health professionals at Beverly Hills Hearing Center for a hearing test and be on the right path towards investing in your hearing health today!