Putting off on essential appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amidst the hustle and bustle of day-to-day events. You may even find yourself hesitating to get hearing aids altogether. However, putting off on treatment for hearing loss is far more than just a mistake concerning your ears alone.
Neglected hearing loss can result in a greater risk of cognitive decline
A clear connection between mental decline and neglected hearing loss has been demonstrated by scientists and researchers. This underscores the critical importance of not delaying treatment, as it can have negative effects on your brain function as well.
The impact on hearing
If you care about the health of your hearing, it’s important to never ignore any symptoms of hearing loss. By avoiding appointments with a hearing specialist or delaying the purchase of hearing aids, you inadvertently subject your ears to further damage.
You may find yourself constantly boosting the volume on your various devices, worsening the damage to your ears and speeding up the progression of hearing loss. Hearing aids can increase specific frequencies of sound thereby slowing down the advancement of hearing loss.
The connection between neglected hearing loss and cognitive function
Your brain and your hearing are closely linked. Research indicates that neglected hearing loss can have substantial consequences on cognitive function. Social solitude, often a consequence of diminished hearing, can result in mental health issues including depression and anxiety, which in turn can worsen cognitive decline over time.
Furthermore, prolonged untreated hearing loss causes the brain to adapt by reallocating resources from processing sound to other functions, such as visual processing, potentially complicating the recovery of normal hearing function later on.
Navigating neuroplasticity
The brain’s phenomenal ability to adapt, known as neuroplasticity, is both a friend and a foe in this situation. The brain will have a difficult time reverting back to its previous state after it rewires itself to accommodate for sustained untreated hearing loss.
But it is possible to reverse this effect. Despite previous delays in getting treatment, utilizing hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still yield substantial benefits in both the short and long term.
Give us a call for an appointment
While quick treatment is ideal, it’s never too late to address hearing loss. If you’re ready to enjoy improved hearing and stronger mental function, call us today for an assessment!