Between hectic schedules and the distractions of events, it’s all too easy to put off essential appointments, such as those with a hearing specialist or for a hearing aid fitting. You might even find yourself hesitating to get hearing aids altogether. But hearing loss affects more than just your ears and delaying treatment can have negative effects on your whole life.
The connection to cognitive decline
A clear connection between cognitive decline and neglected hearing loss has been established by scientists and researchers. This underscores the crucial importance of not holding off on treatment, as it can have negative effects on your brain function also.
Hearing loss will get worse if it’s neglected
Obviously, it’s evident that delaying treatment for hearing loss isn’t conducive to maintaining your auditory health. By avoiding appointments with a hearing specialist or holding off on the purchase of hearing aids, you unintentionally subject your ears to additional damage.
The advancement of your hearing loss will be accelerated if you constantly need to crank up the volume on your devices. Hearing aids can increase specific frequencies of sound thereby slowing down the progression of hearing loss.
The connection to mental function
There’s a close link between your sense of hearing and your brain. Research indicates that untreated hearing loss can have significant consequences on mental function. Over time, mental decline can be worsened by depression and anxiety caused by social isolation.
Also, the recovery of healthy hearing function can be complicated because neglected hearing loss will force the brain to adjust by reallocating mental resources from other functions, such as visual processes, over to auditory processes.
Navigating neuroplasticity
In this situation, neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt, can be both a friend and a foe. While it allows for flexibility and recovery, extended neglected hearing loss can result in considerable rewiring of the brain, making it difficult to return to previous functionality.
But it is possible to reverse this effect. In spite of 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.
Call us for an appointment
While timely treatment is ideal, it’s never too late to tackle hearing loss. If you’re ready to enjoy improved hearing and stronger mental function, call us today for an assessment!