Let’s be clear: Keeping your mind sharp and avoiding cognitive disorders including dementia and Alzheimer’s can be accomplished in several ways. Social engagement and involvement in the workforce are among the most noteworthy. Regardless of the method, though, managing hearing loss through hearing aids makes these activities much easier and contributes in its own way to battling cognitive issues.
These conditions, according to numerous studies, are often directly linked to hearing loss. This article will outline the relationship between cognitive decline and hearing loss and how wearing hearing aids can minimize the probability of these conditions becoming an impending issue.
How Hearing Loss Contributes to Cognitive Decline
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have conducted numerous studies over the years to examine the connection between cognitive decline and hearing loss. The results of each study revealed the same story: individuals with hearing loss struggled with dementia and cognitive decline in higher rates than those without. One study showed, in fact, that there was a 24% higher instance of Alzheimer’s in individuals who have diminished hearing.
Even though dementia isn’t specifically caused by hearing loss there is certainly a link. When you can’t effectively process sound your brain has to work harder according to leading theories. That means your brain is using more precious energy on fairly simple activities, leaving a lot less of that energy for more challenging processes such as cognitive function and memory.
Hearing loss can also have a severe affect on your mental health. Research has shown that hearing loss is linked to depression, social isolation, anxiety, and may even influence schizophrenia. Remaining socially active, as noted, is the best way to maintain your mental health and preserve your cognitive clarity. In many examples, hearing loss causes people to feel self-conscious around others, which means they’ll turn to seclusion instead. The mental problems listed above are frequently the result of the lack of human interaction and can ultimately produce significant cognitive decline.
How a Hearing Aid Can Help You Keep Your Resolution
One of the best tools we have to fight dementia and other cognitive conditions such as Alzheimer’s is hearing aids. The problem is that only one in seven of the millions of people 50 or older who suffer from hearing loss actually wear a hearing aid. People may avoid hearing aids because they’ve had a negative experience in the past or maybe they have some kind of stigma, but in fact, hearing aids have been shown to help people preserve their cognitive function by helping them hear better.
There are situations where particular sounds will have to be relearned because they’ve been forgotten after extended hearing damage. It’s important to let your brain go back to processing more important tasks and hearing aids can do just that by stopping this problem in the first place and helping you relearn any sounds the brain has forgotten.
If you want to find out what options are available to help you begin hearing better get in touch with us.