Putting off on important appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amongst the hustle and bustle of daily events. You might not even get around to shopping for hearing aids at all. However, putting off on treatment for hearing loss is a lot more than just a misstep concerning your ears alone.
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 maintaining your auditory health. By avoiding appointments with a hearing specialist or delaying the purchase of hearing aids, you inadvertently subject your ears to additional damage.
The development of your hearing loss will be accelerated if you constantly need to crank up the volume on your devices. Wearing a hearing aid can help alleviate this by selectively amplifying particular frequencies, thereby slowing down the development of hearing loss.
The connection between untreated hearing loss and mental function
There’s a close connection between your sense of hearing and your brain. Research shows that untreated hearing loss can have substantial repercussions on cognitive function. Over time, mental decline can be exacerbated by depression and anxiety brought on by social isolation.
Also, the recovery 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 amazing ability to adapt, known as neuroplasticity, is both a friend and a foe in this situation. The brain will have a difficult time reverting back to its previous state after it rewires itself to accommodate for prolonged neglected hearing loss.
But it is possible to undo this effect. Despite previous delays in getting treatment, utilizing hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still provide 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. Making an appointment with us as soon as possible is crucial, ensuring you can enjoy improved hearing and mental function going forward. Call today!