Amidst hectic schedules and the distractions of events, it’s all too easy to put off essential appointments, like 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 impacts more than just your ears and holding off on treatment can have negative effects on your whole life.
Untreated hearing loss can result in a higher risk of cognitive decline
A clear link between cognitive decline and neglected hearing loss has been established by scientists and researchers. This underscores the critical importance of not holding off on treatment, as it can have adverse effects on your brain function also.
The impact on hearing
If you care about your hearing health, it’s essential to never disregard any symptoms of hearing loss. By avoiding appointments with a hearing specialist or delaying the purchase of hearing aids, you unintentionally subject your ears to further damage.
You may find yourself constantly increasing the volume on your various devices, exacerbating the damage to your ears and speeding up the development of hearing loss. Wearing a hearing aid can help mitigate this by selectively amplifying particular frequencies, thereby slowing down the advancement of hearing loss.
The link to mental function
There’s a direct connection between your sense of hearing and your brain. Research shows that neglected hearing loss can have substantial repercussions on cognitive function. Social isolation, frequently a consequence of diminished hearing, can lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, which in turn can exacerbate mental decline over time.
Also, the restoration of normal hearing function can be complicated because neglected 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
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 restoration, extended neglected hearing loss can lead to considerable rewiring of the brain, making it difficult to revert to previous functionality.
However, it isn’t impossible to undo these effects. In both the short and the long term, using hearing aids can bring considerable benefits even if you’ve held off on getting treatment for some time.
Give us a call for an appointment
You should obviously seek treatment as soon as possible, but even if you’ve delayed for a while, it’s not too late to seek help. Scheduling an appointment with us as soon as you can is crucial, ensuring you can enjoy improved hearing and mental function going forward. Call today!