Putting off on essential 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 at all. But hearing loss affects more than only your ears and delaying treatment can have detrimental effects on your whole life.
The connection to cognitive decline
A clear link between mental decline and untreated hearing loss has been demonstrated by scientists and researchers. This is one reason why delaying treatment is never a good plan.
The impact on hearing
Naturally, 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 further damage.
The development of your hearing loss will be quickened if you constantly need to crank up the volume on your devices. Wearing a hearing aid can help alleviate this by selectively amplifying specific frequencies, thereby delaying the progression of hearing loss.
The connection between neglected hearing loss and mental function
There’s a direct link between your sense of hearing and your brain. Research shows that untreated hearing loss can have significant repercussions on mental function. Social isolation, often a consequence of diminished hearing, can result in mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, which in turn can exacerbate mental decline over time.
Furthermore, long-term untreated hearing loss prompts the brain to adapt by reallocating resources from auditory processing to other functions, such as visual processing, potentially complicating the restoration of normal hearing function down the road.
Navigating neuroplasticity
In this situation, neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt, can be both a friend and a foe. The brain will have a hard time reverting back to its previous state after it rewires itself to accommodate for extended neglected hearing loss.
However, it’s not impossible to undo these effects. In both the short and the long term, using hearing aids can bring considerable benefits even if you’ve put off on getting treatment for some time.
Give us a call for an appointment
While quick treatment is ideal, it’s never too late to address hearing loss. If you’re ready to enjoy better hearing and stronger mental function, call us today for an assessment!