Putting off on important appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amongst the hustle and bustle of day-to-day events. You might not even get around to shopping for hearing aids at all. However, putting off on treatment for hearing loss is a lot more than just a misstep concerning your ears alone.
Neglected hearing loss can lead to a higher risk of cognitive decline
Scientists have demonstrated a clear link between untreated hearing loss and mental decline. This underscores the crucial importance of not delaying treatment, as it can have negative effects on your mental function also.
The impact on hearing
If you care about your hearing health, 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.
The advancement of your hearing loss will be accelerated if you continuously need to crank up the volume on your devices. Hearing aids can increase particular frequencies of sound thereby slowing down the advancement of hearing loss.
The link to mental function
Your brain and your hearing are closely linked. Research indicates that neglected hearing loss can have substantial consequences on mental function. Social isolation, frequently a consequence of weakened hearing, can lead to mental health issues including depression and anxiety, which in turn can exacerbate cognitive decline over time.
Moreover, prolonged neglected hearing loss prompts the brain to adapt by reallocating resources from auditory processing to other functions, such as visual processing, potentially complicating the restoration of normal hearing function later on.
Navigating neuroplasticity
In this situation, neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt, can be both a friend and a foe. While it allows for flexibility and recovery, sustained neglected hearing loss can lead to considerable rewiring of the brain, making it challenging to revert to previous functionality.
But it is possible to undo this effect. Despite previous delays in seeking treatment, utilizing hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still yield substantial benefits in both the short and long term.
Schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist
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. Making an appointment with us as soon as you can is important, ensuring you can enjoy better hearing and mental function moving forward. Call today!
The content of this blog is the intellectual property of MedPB.com and is reprinted here with permission.
The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive a personalized free hearing test and hearing loss consultation, call today to set up an appointment.
