Here’s how your helpful devices can amplify the fun!
Pickleball? Check. Pickleball court? Check. Optimal hearing? You bet! From the pop of the first serve or the whack of a powerful overhead shot to the “Mine!” exclaimed by a player avoiding a collision, the sounds of pickleball hold a starring role in the game. That’s why the team at Professional Hearing Services, of Dr. Suzanne O’Connor, Dr. Megan Adams, and Dr. Amanda Rosinko are dedicated to helping you step up your play!
Never heard of pickleball? You’re in for a treat. The game — which launched nearly 60 years ago and draws from tennis, Ping-Pong, and badminton — was started by three Seattle-area dads on Bainbridge Island, and has spread in popularity from the U.S. and Canada to other regions including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Read on to learn our top five ways hearing aids can help you bring your A game to the sport.
1. Better Communication
Pickleball is a social activity that requires communication with your partner and opponents. Using your hearing aids can help you pick up spoken cues, instructions, and calls from your fellow players, facilitating coordination and teamwork on the court.
2. Greater Alertness
Sports require awareness of your surroundings, and pickleball is no exception. Hearing aids can help support alertness on the court, whether it’s a ball hitting the ground, a player approaching, or a hazard. In turn, improved auditory awareness could enhance reaction time and overall game play.
3. Steady Balance
Hearing contributes to balance, helping you stay steady on your feet while taking that game-winning shot. Even mild hearing loss can go hand in hand with a tripled risk of falling, per a study by Johns Hopkins and National Institute on Aging researchers, making it important to lean into your devices.
4. Enhanced Confidence
Given the sense of empowerment that can come from hearing more of your world, it’s no wonder that hearing aids can help boost confidence. Feeling more engaged, empowered, and connected to the game can drive greater enjoyment — and support your performance, too!
5. Brain Support
Pickleball involves hand-eye coordination, focus, management of emotions, and strategy — all of which take brainpower. Hearing loss, however, is linked to brain decline, including dementia. The good news? Hearing aid use may significantly reduce dementia risk in older adults, per a growing body of research.
With its exciting pace, fitness benefits, interactive atmosphere, and accessibility for nearly every age and skill level, pickleball has captured the love of players around the globe. Wearing your hearing aids can enhance your experience, letting you make the most of every game. So don’t wait. If it’s been a while since your devices’ last professional clean and check, contact us to book your visit today!
More Benefits of Hearing Technology
· Hearing aids not only boost auditory ability — supporting clearer communication and connections with others — but are associated with better cognition scores among older adults, a metric that helps give insight into brain health and functioning.
· Today’s hearing devices are smaller and more advanced than ever, with invisibility; smartphone compatibility; interactivity with apps; the sophistication to track brain and body health; and the ability to stream music, TV, and other audio straight to your ears, letting you engage on your terms.
· Adults wearing hearing aids have reported improvements in personal relationships, which can sometimes suffer from the social isolation, anxiety, income loss, and other challenges that may accompany an untreated hearing problem.
· Hearing loss is linked to a 57% greater risk of depression, a serious condition that can impact mood, thinking, and other functions. With hearing aid use, however, the odds of depression may be lower, according to research.