Between hectic schedules and the distractions of events, it’s all too simple to put off essential appointments, such as those with a hearing specialist or for fitting hearing aids. You may even find yourself hesitating to get hearing aids altogether. But hearing loss affects more than just your ears and delaying treatment can have negative effects on your entire life.
The connection to cognitive decline
Scientists have demonstrated a clear connection between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline. This is one reason why delaying treatment is never a good plan.
Hearing loss will get worse if it’s neglected
If you care about the health of your hearing, it’s important to never neglect 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 might find yourself constantly increasing the volume on your various devices, worsening the damage to your ears and accelerating the development of hearing loss. Hearing aids can increase particular frequencies of sound thereby delaying the advancement of hearing loss.
The link to cognitive function
There’s a close link between your sense of hearing and your brain. Mental function can be seriously impacted by neglected hearing loss according to some substantial research. Social isolation, frequently a consequence of weakened hearing, can result in mental health issues including depression and anxiety, which in turn can exacerbate mental decline over time.
Also, the recovery of normal hearing function can be complicated because untreated hearing loss will force the brain to adapt by reallocating mental resources from other functions, such as visual processes, over to auditory processes.
Navigating neuroplasticity
The brain’s amazing 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 neglected hearing loss.
However, it isn’t impossible to undo these effects. Despite previous delays in getting treatment, using hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still deliver significant benefits in both the short and long term.
Call us for an appointment
You should obviously find 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 better hearing and stronger mental function, call us today for an assessment!