Between hectic schedules and the distractions of events, it’s all too easy to put off important appointments, like those with a hearing specialist or for a hearing aid fitting. You may even find yourself hesitating to order hearing aids altogether. But hearing loss affects more than just your ears and holding off on treatment can have negative effects on your whole life.
The connection to cognitive decline
Scientists have established a clear link between untreated hearing loss and mental decline. This underscores the crucial importance of not holding off on treatment, as it can have negative effects on your brain function also.
The impact on hearing
Naturally, it’s evident that delaying treatment for hearing loss isn’t helpful for maintaining your auditory health. You unintentionally cause more damage to your hearing if you delay getting a hearing exam or hearing aids if you need them.
You may find yourself constantly boosting the volume on your various devices, worsening the damage to your ears and accelerating the development of hearing loss. Wearing a hearing aid can help alleviate this by selectively amplifying specific frequencies, thereby delaying the development of hearing loss.
The link between untreated hearing loss and mental function
There’s a direct connection between your sense of hearing and your brain. Mental function can be seriously impacted by neglected hearing loss according to some significant research. Over time, mental decline can be worsened by depression and anxiety brought on by social separation.
Moreover, long-term neglected hearing loss prompts 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 down the road.
Navigating neuroplasticity
The brain’s amazing ability to adapt, known as neuroplasticity, is both a friend and a foe in this scenario. The brain will have a difficult time reverting back to its previous state after it rewires itself to accommodate for sustained neglected 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 deliver significant benefits in both the short and long term.
Give us a call for an appointment
You should obviously seek treatment as soon as you can, but even if you’ve put off for a while, it’s not too late to seek help. If you’re ready to enjoy improved hearing and stronger cognitive function, call us today for an assessment!