That loss of hearing can impact your brain has been established in numerous studies. (Some of our other blogs clearly show that.) Hearing Aids, fortunately, have been proven to be able to help you regain some of that cognitive ability.
We’re not stating that you will become smarter just by wearing hearing aids. But there’s some compelling research that suggests cognitive ability can be enhanced by wearing hearing aids lowering your risk for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
Your Brain is Responsible For a Large Portion of Your Hearing
To understand the link between cognition and your ears, it’s important to recognize that a considerable portion of your hearing actually takes place in your brain. It’s the brain’s job to convert sound vibrations into perceptible sound information. So as your hearing diminishes, the parts of your brain that decipher those sounds suddenly have a lot less to do.
Alterations in your brain (and hearing), coupled with other factors (like social alienation), can result in the beginning of mental health problems. Anxiety, depression, and dementia are much more obvious in people who have neglected hearing loss.
Your effectively “treating” your hearing loss when you’re using hearing aids. That means:
- Social solitude will be less likely. Conversations will be easier to comprehend and follow, so you’ll be more likely to engage.
- Because you’ll be capable of coupling your hearing aids with consistent screening and other treatment methods, you can help keep your hearing from becoming progressively worse.
- Your brain will stay healthier if it keeps doing work; your brain will be getting a more regular workout in the regions responsible for hearing.
Keeping You on Your Toes
Hearing aids can lessen depression, anxiety, and dementia because they stimulate your brain and your social life.
- Inner ear health: Inner ear damage is not triggered by loss of hearing alone. But there is normally a common cause for both hearing loss and damage to the inner ear. Sometimes, a hearing aid is part of the treatment program for hearing loss which can also help inner ear injury.
- New technology: Hearing aids have started incorporating unique technology that is able to notify emergency contacts (or emergency services) when a person wearing the hearing aids has a fall. This might not prevent the fall in the first place, but it can lessen long-lasting injuries or complications due to the fall.
- Increasing awareness: At times, you fall because you aren’t aware of your environment. Decreased hearing ability can significantly reduce your situational awareness. Not only can it be difficult to hear sounds, but it can also be a challenge to figure out which direction sounds are originating from. A fall or other accident can be the outcome.
The truth is, you’re more likely to avoid a fall when you’re wearing hearing aids. A hearing aid keeps you more alert, more mindful, and more connected, increasing cognitive capabilities and physical health in the process.
Start Wearing Your Hearing Aid
None of this has even yet discussed the fundamental hearing benefits of hearing aids. So when you consider that amplified hearing, factor in the mental health advantages and physical well-being, it seems like using these devices would be an easy choice (Pretty obvious).
The problem is that many people don’t know they have hearing loss. When your hearing fades away slowly, you might have a hard time noticing. That’s the reason why getting a normal hearing assessment is essential. Without hearing aids, loss of hearing can worsen a wide variety of other health concerns.
The correct hearing aid can, in part, slow the beginning of despair and dementia, while lessening the incidents of some physical incidents. That’s a stunning combination of benefits that hearing aids offer, and they also help you hear.