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 may not even get around to shopping for hearing aids whatsoever. But hearing loss impacts more than only your ears and delaying treatment can have negative effects on your entire life.
Neglected hearing loss can lead to a higher risk of cognitive decline
Scientists have demonstrated a clear connection 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 your hearing health, it’s important to never ignore 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 additional damage.
The advancement of your hearing loss will be quickened if you continuously need to crank up the volume on your devices. Wearing a hearing aid can help alleviate this by selectively amplifying specific frequencies, thereby slowing down the advancement of hearing loss.
The link to mental function
There’s a close link between your sense of hearing and your brain. Research shows that untreated hearing loss can have substantial repercussions on cognitive function. Over time, mental decline can be exacerbated by depression and anxiety caused by social isolation.
Also, the restoration of healthy 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
In this scenario, 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 untreated hearing loss can lead to considerable rewiring of the brain, making it difficult to revert to previous functionality.
But it is possible to reverse this effect. In spite of previous delays in seeking treatment, using hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still yield substantial benefits in both the short and long term.
Make an appointment with a hearing specialist
You should obviously seek treatment as soon as possible, but even if you’ve delayed for a while, it’s not too late to get help. If you’re ready to enjoy improved hearing and stronger mental function, call us today for an assessment!