That loss of hearing can affect your brain has been confirmed in numerous studies. (Some of our previous blogs clearly show that.) The good news is, it’s also been verified that you can restore some of that cognitive capacity through hearing aids.
This is not saying that hearing aids are in some way going to make you smarter. But there’s some compelling research that suggests hearing aids can improve cognitive abilities, lowering your risk for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
Your Brain is Responsible For a Substantial Portion of Your Hearing
It’s essential to recognize how large a part your brain plays in hearing if you are going to comprehend the link between your ears and cognition. That’s where the vibrations of the world are converted into the sounds of your environment. The parts of your brain that decipher sound will suddenly have less to do when hearing starts to wane.
Changes in your brain (and hearing), coupled with other considerations (like social solitude), can lead to the beginning of mental health problems. In persons with neglected hearing loss, it’s not uncommon to observe an increase in the dangers for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
When you use hearing aids, you’re essentially “treating” your hearing loss. That means:
- Social alienation won’t be as likely. You will be more likely to engage with others if you can hear and understand discussions.
- Because you’ll be able to couple your hearing aids with routine screening and other treatment methods, you can help keep your hearing from becoming increasingly worse.
- The regions of your brain responsible for hearing will get regular workouts; the more your brain works, the healthier your brain will be.
Staying Attentive
Hearing aids can prevent dementia, anxiety, and depression because they stimulate your brain and your social life.
- Modern technology: Some modern hearing aids, when a person has a fall, can immediately notify emergency services. This can prevent long lasting injuries and complications even though it won’t prevent the fall itself.
- Creating better awareness: At times, because you’re not aware of your environment, you could have a fall. Diminished ability to hear can significantly lessen your situational awareness. Identifying which direction sound is coming from can be as difficult as hearing sound in general. Without treatment, this can wind up leading to a fall or injury.
- Inner ear health: Inner ear damage is not brought on by loss of hearing alone. However, sometimes loss of hearing and inner ear issues have a common cause. So treating the one can help you treat the other, and in many situations, a hearing aid is a component of that treatment regimen.
Truthfully, you have a higher chance of avoiding a fall when you’re using hearing aids. A hearing aid helps you stay more alert, more perceptive, and more connected, bettering cognitive capabilities and general health in the process.
Start Wearing Your Hearing Aid
We haven’t even addressed the fact that a hearing aid will also improve your hearing. So it seems like when you consider all of the benefits connected to using hearing aids, it’s a no brainer. (not something you need to put your thinking cap on for).
The problem is that many people don’t know they have hearing loss. When your hearing fades away slowly, you may have a hard time recognizing it. That’s why it’s crucial to have your hearing checked routinely. Without hearing aids, loss of hearing can worsen a wide range of other health issues.
Hearing aids will reduce the likelihood of physical damage while helping to slow dementia and depression. That’s an impressive mix of benefits that hearing aids provide, and they also help your hearing.