Putting off on essential appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amongst the hustle and bustle of day-to-day events. You may not even get around to shopping for hearing aids whatsoever. But hearing loss impacts more than only your ears and delaying treatment can have detrimental effects on your whole life.
Neglected hearing loss can result in 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 brain function too.
Hearing loss will get worse if it’s neglected
If you care about the health of your hearing, it’s important to never disregard any symptoms of hearing loss. You inadvertently cause more harm to your hearing if you delay getting a hearing examination or hearing aids if you need them.
The progression of your hearing loss will be accelerated if you constantly need to crank up the volume on your devices. Hearing aids can amplify particular frequencies of sound thereby delaying the advancement of hearing loss.
The connection between untreated hearing loss and mental function
Your brain and your hearing are intricately linked. Mental function can be seriously impacted by neglected hearing loss according to some substantial research. Social isolation, often a consequence of weakened hearing, can result in mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, which in turn can exacerbate cognitive decline over time.
Also, the recovery of healthy hearing function can be complicated because untreated 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
In this scenario, neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt, can be both a friend and a foe. While it allows for flexibility and restoration, prolonged neglected hearing loss can result in considerable rewiring of the brain, making it challenging to revert to previous functionality.
However, it isn’t impossible to reverse these effects. In both the short and the long term, making use of hearing aids can bring considerable benefits even if you’ve put off on getting treatment for some time.
Schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist
While prompt treatment is ideal, it’s never too late to tackle hearing loss. Making an appointment with us as soon as you can is crucial, ensuring you can enjoy better hearing and cognitive function moving forward. Call today!