Between hectic schedules and the distractions 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 at all. But hearing loss affects more than only your ears and holding off on treatment can have negative effects on your whole life.
Untreated 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 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 essential to never neglect any symptoms of hearing loss. You inadvertently cause more harm to your hearing if you delay getting a hearing test or hearing aids if you need them.
You may find yourself continually boosting the volume on your various devices, worsening the damage to your ears and speeding up the progression of hearing loss. Using a hearing aid can help mitigate this by selectively amplifying specific frequencies, thereby slowing down the advancement of hearing loss.
The connection to mental function
There’s a close connection between your sense of hearing and your brain. Mental function can be seriously impacted by untreated hearing loss according to some significant research. Social isolation, often a consequence of diminished hearing, can result in mental health issues like depression and anxiety, which in turn can worsen cognitive decline over time.
Also, the restoration of normal hearing function can be complicated because untreated 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 remarkable 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 extended neglected hearing loss.
However, it’s not impossible to undo these effects. In both the short and the long term, utilizing hearing aids can bring significant benefits even if you’ve held off on getting treatment for some time.
Set up an appointment with a hearing specialist
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 improved hearing and stronger cognitive function, call us today for an assessment!
