That loss of hearing can impact your brain has been confirmed in numerous studies. (Just take a look at some of our previous blog posts.) Hearing Aids, luckily, have been proven to be able to help you regain some of that cognitive ability.
We’re not stating that you will become more intelligent 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 depression, dementia, and anxiety.
Your Brain is Responsible For a Large Portion of Your Hearing
To recognize the connection between your ears and cognition, it’s crucial to recognize that a significant percentage of your hearing actually takes place in your brain. It’s the brain’s task to transform sound vibrations into perceptible sound information. The regions of your brain that translate sound will suddenly have less to do when hearing begins to wane.
Changes in your brain (and hearing), along with other factors (like social solitude), can trigger the onset of mental health problems. In individuals with neglected hearing loss, it’s not uncommon to notice an increase in the risks of depression, anxiety, and dementia.
Your effectively “treating” your hearing loss when you’re wearing hearing aids. That means:
- Your brain stays healthier if it keeps doing work; your brain will be getting a more consistent workout in the parts responsible for hearing.
- You won’t be as likely to isolate yourself socially. Conversations will be easier to comprehend and follow, so you’ll be more inclined to participate.
- Because you’ll be able to couple your hearing aids with consistent monitoring and other treatment options, you can help keep your hearing from becoming progressively worse.
Keeping You on Your Toes
Hearing aids can prevent depression, anxiety, and dementia because they stimulate your brain and your social life.
- Growing awareness: Sometimes, because you’re not aware of your environment, you might have a fall. Your situational awareness can be seriously hindered by hearing conditions. Not only can it be difficult to hear sounds, but it can also be a challenge to ascertain what direction sounds are originating from. Without treatment, this can wind up leading to injury or a fall.
- The health of your inner ear: Hearing loss by itself will not cause inner ear damage. But there is typically a common cause for both hearing loss and inner ear damage. In some cases, a hearing aid is part of the treatment program for hearing loss which can also help inner ear injury.
- Cutting edge technology: Hearing aids have started incorporating novel technology that is able to notify emergency contacts (or emergency services) when a person wearing the hearing aids experiences a fall. This may not prevent the fall in the first place, but it can prevent lasting injuries or complications due to the fall.
Ultimately, when you’re wearing a hearing aid, you’re more likely to steer clear of a fall to begin with. A hearing aid helps you stay more alert, more aware, and more connected, bettering cognitive abilities and physical health at the same time.
Start Using Your Hearing Aid
We haven’t even touched on the fact that a hearing aid can also improve your hearing. So it seems as if when you factor in all of the benefits associated with wearing hearing aids, it’s a no brainer. (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 difficult time noticing. That’s the reason why getting a regular hearing assessment is important. Without hearing aids, hearing loss can worsen a number of of other health concerns.
The ideal hearing aid can, in part, slow the beginning of depression and dementia, while lessening the occasions of some physical injuries. That’s a striking mix of advantages that hearing aids provide, and they also help your hearing.