That hearing loss can affect your brain has been verified in multiple studies. (Just have a look at some of our recent blog posts.) The good news is, it’s also been proven that you can recover some of that cognitive capacity through hearing aids.
We’re not saying that you will get smarter just by wearing hearing aids. But there’s some compelling research that suggests hearing aids can enhance cognitive abilities, lowering your risk for depression, dementia, and anxiety.
You Do a Lot of Hearing With Your Brain
It’s important to realize how big a part your brain plays in hearing if you are going to comprehend the link between cognition and your ears. It’s the brain’s task to convert sound vibrations into perceptible sound information. So as your hearing diminishes, the parts of your brain that interpret those sounds suddenly have a lot less to do.
When combined with other factors (like social solitude), the alterations in your brain (and hearing) can trigger the onset of certain mental health problems. Depression, dementia, and anxiety are much more evident in individuals who have neglected hearing loss.
When you wear hearing aids, you’re effectively “treating” your hearing loss. That means:
- You won’t be as likely to isolate yourself socially. Interactions will be easier to comprehend and follow, so you’ll be more likely to participate.
- Your brain stays healthier if it continues working; your brain will be getting a more consistent workout in the parts responsible for hearing.
- You can keep your hearing from becoming worse by using hearing aids along with regular screening.
Keeping You on Your Toes
Hearing aids stimulate your brain and your social life and can prevent depression, anxiety, and dementia.
- Modern technology: Some current hearing aids, when a person has a fall, can automatically notify emergency services. This may not stop the fall to begin with, but it can prevent long-term injuries or complications caused by the fall.
- The health of your inner ear: Hearing loss by itself will not result in inner ear damage. But there is often a common cause for both hearing loss and inner ear damage. In some cases, a hearing aid is a component of the treatment strategy for hearing loss which can also assist with inner ear injury.
- Creating greater awareness: Sometimes, you fall because you’re not aware of your environment. Your situational awareness can be significantly hindered by hearing conditions. Not only can it be hard to hear sounds, but it can also be a challenge to ascertain what direction sounds are coming from. Without treatment, this can wind up causing a fall or injury.
Inevitably, when you’re wearing a hearing aid, you’re more likely to avoid a fall to begin with. A hearing aid boosts your physical health and your cognitive capability while carrying out the important tasks of keeping you more mindful, more focused, and more connected.
Stop Neglecting Your Hearing Aid
None of this has even yet addressed the fundamental hearing advantages of hearing aids. So when you take that amplified hearing, factor in the mental health benefits and physical well-being, it seems as if using these devices would be an easy decision (not something you need to put your thinking cap on for).
The problem is that many people don’t know they have hearing loss. When your hearing disappears slowly, you might have a difficult time recognizing it. That’s the reason why getting a regular hearing assessment is necessary. Without hearing aids, hearing loss can exacerbate a wide variety of other health concerns.
The correct hearing aid can, in part, slow the beginning of depression and dementia, while decreasing the occasions of certain physical incidents. That’s a striking combination of advantages that hearing aids provide, and they also help you hear.