Putting off on important appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amidst the hustle and bustle of daily events. You might not even get around to shopping for hearing aids whatsoever. But hearing loss impacts more than just your ears and holding off on treatment can have negative effects on your whole life.
Neglected hearing loss can lead to a higher risk of cognitive decline
A clear connection between cognitive decline and untreated hearing loss has been established by scientists and researchers. This is one reason why delaying treatment is never a good plan.
Hearing loss will get worse if it goes untreated
Obviously, it’s evident that delaying treatment for hearing loss isn’t helpful for preserving 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.
You might find yourself continually boosting the volume on your various devices, worsening the damage to your ears and accelerating the progression of hearing loss. Using a hearing aid can help alleviate this by selectively amplifying particular frequencies, thereby delaying the development of hearing loss.
The link to mental function
Your brain and your hearing are closely linked. Research shows that neglected hearing loss can have significant consequences on cognitive function. Social isolation, often a consequence of weakened hearing, can lead to mental health issues including depression and anxiety, which in turn can worsen cognitive decline over time.
Also, the restoration of healthy hearing function can be complicated because neglected hearing loss will force the brain to adapt by reallocating mental resources from other functions, such as visual processes, over to auditory processes.
Navigating neuroplasticity
The brain’s remarkable ability to adapt, known as neuroplasticity, is both a friend and a foe in this scenario. The brain will have a hard time reverting back to its previous state after it rewires itself to accommodate for prolonged neglected hearing loss.
But it is possible to reverse this effect. Despite previous delays in seeking treatment, utilizing hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still deliver substantial benefits in both the short and long term.
Call us for an appointment
You should obviously seek treatment as soon as possible, but even if you’ve delayed for a while, it’s not too late to get help. Making an appointment with us as soon as you can is essential, ensuring you can enjoy improved hearing and cognitive function going forward. Call today!