Putting off on important appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amongst the hustle and bustle of daily events. You might even find yourself hesitating to order hearing aids altogether. But hearing loss affects more than only your ears and holding off on treatment can have detrimental effects on your entire life.
The link to mental decline
A clear connection 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.
Hearing loss will worsen if it goes untreated
If you care about your hearing health, it’s essential to never neglect any symptoms of hearing loss. You unintentionally cause more harm to your hearing if you put off on getting a hearing test or hearing aids if you need them.
You might find yourself constantly increasing the volume on your various devices, worsening the damage to your ears and accelerating the progression of hearing loss. Using a hearing aid can help alleviate this by selectively amplifying particular frequencies, thereby delaying the development of hearing loss.
The connection to cognitive function
There’s a close connection between your sense of hearing and your brain. Research shows that neglected hearing loss can have significant repercussions on mental function. Social isolation, often a consequence of diminished hearing, can lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, which in turn can worsen mental decline over time.
Also, the recovery of healthy hearing function can be complicated because untreated 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 recovery, sustained neglected hearing loss can lead to significant rewiring of the brain, making it difficult to revert to previous functionality.
But it is possible to reverse this effect. Despite previous delays in getting treatment, using hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still yield significant benefits in both the short and long term.
Make an appointment with a hearing specialist
You should obviously find treatment as soon as you can, but even if you’ve put off for a while, it’s not too late to seek help. Making an appointment with us as soon as you can is essential, ensuring you can enjoy improved hearing and cognitive function going forward. Call today!
