Putting off on important appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amongst the hustle and bustle of daily events. You might not even get around to shopping for hearing aids whatsoever. However, putting off on treatment for hearing loss is far more than just a misstep concerning your ears alone.
The link to cognitive decline
A clear link between cognitive decline and untreated hearing loss has been established by scientists and researchers. 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 essential to never ignore any symptoms of hearing loss. You unintentionally cause more harm to your hearing if you put off on 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 speeding up the development of hearing loss. Hearing aids can amplify particular frequencies of sound thereby slowing down the progression of hearing loss.
The connection between neglected hearing loss and cognitive function
There’s a close link between your sense of hearing and your brain. Cognitive function can be seriously impacted by neglected hearing loss according to some significant research. Social solitude, frequently a consequence of weakened hearing, can result in mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, which in turn can worsen cognitive decline over time.
Also, the recovery of normal 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 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.
However, it’s not impossible to reverse these effects. Despite previous delays in getting treatment, utilizing hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still provide substantial benefits in both the short and long term.
Set up an appointment with a hearing specialist
You should obviously find treatment as soon as possible, but even if you’ve put off for a while, it’s not too late to get help. Making an appointment with us as soon as possible is crucial, ensuring you can enjoy better hearing and cognitive function going forward. Call today!