Between hectic schedules and the disruptions of events, it’s all too simple to put off essential appointments, such as those with a hearing specialist or for fitting hearing aids. You may even find yourself hesitating to get hearing aids altogether. But hearing loss impacts more than only your ears and delaying treatment can have negative effects on your whole life.
Untreated hearing loss can lead to a greater risk of cognitive decline
A clear connection between mental decline and neglected hearing loss has been established by scientists and researchers. This underscores the critical importance of not holding off on treatment, as it can have adverse effects on your mental function too.
The impact on hearing
If you care about your hearing health, it’s important to never ignore any symptoms of hearing loss. You inadvertently cause more harm to your hearing if you put off on getting a hearing test or hearing aids if you need them.
You might find yourself continually increasing the volume on your various devices, exacerbating the damage to your ears and speeding up the progression of hearing loss. Hearing aids can amplify particular frequencies of sound thereby delaying the advancement of hearing loss.
The connection between neglected hearing loss and cognitive function
There’s a close link between your sense of hearing and your brain. Cognitive function can be severely impacted by neglected hearing loss according to some significant research. Over time, cognitive decline can be worsened by depression and anxiety caused by social separation.
Furthermore, long-term neglected hearing loss causes the brain to adapt by reallocating resources from processing sound to other functions, such as visual processing, potentially complicating the recovery of healthy hearing function later on.
Navigating neuroplasticity
The brain’s phenomenal ability to adapt, known as neuroplasticity, is both a friend and a foe in this situation. While it allows for flexibility and restoration, prolonged untreated hearing loss can result in considerable rewiring of the brain, making it difficult to revert to previous functionality.
However, it’s not impossible to reverse these effects. Despite previous delays in seeking treatment, utilizing hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still provide substantial benefits in both the short and long term.
Call us for an appointment
While timely treatment is ideal, it’s never too late to deal with hearing loss. If you’re ready to enjoy improved hearing and stronger mental function, call us today for an assessment!