Between hectic schedules and the disruptions of events, it’s all too easy to put off important appointments, such as those with a hearing specialist or for fitting hearing aids. You might not even get around to shopping for hearing aids whatsoever. But hearing loss affects more than only your ears and delaying treatment can have negative effects on your whole life.
The connection to cognitive decline
Scientists have established a clear link between neglected hearing loss and mental decline. This is one reason why delaying treatment is never a good plan.
The impact on hearing
If you care about the health of your hearing, it’s important to never ignore any symptoms of hearing loss. You inadvertently cause more damage to your hearing if you delay getting a hearing test or hearing aids if you need them.
You might find yourself constantly boosting the volume on your various devices, worsening the damage to your ears and accelerating the development of hearing loss. Hearing aids can boost specific frequencies of sound thereby slowing down the development of hearing loss.
The connection between neglected hearing loss and cognitive function
Your brain and your hearing are closely connected. Mental function can be severely impacted by untreated hearing loss according to some significant research. Social isolation, often a consequence of diminished hearing, can result in mental health problems including depression and anxiety, which in turn can exacerbate cognitive decline over time.
Also, the restoration of healthy hearing function can be complicated because neglected hearing loss will force the brain to adjust by reallocating mental resources from other functions, such as visual processes, over to auditory processes.
Navigating neuroplasticity
The brain’s phenomenal ability to adapt, known as neuroplasticity, is both a friend and a foe in this situation. While it allows for flexibility and restoration, prolonged untreated hearing loss can lead to significant rewiring of the brain, making it challenging to return to previous functionality.
However, it isn’t impossible to undo these effects. In both the short and the long term, using hearing aids can bring significant benefits even if you’ve put off on getting treatment for some time.
Give us a call for an appointment
You should obviously seek treatment as soon as you can, but even if you’ve delayed for a while, it’s not too late to get help. If you’re ready to enjoy better hearing and stronger cognitive function, call us today for an assessment!