Make no mistake: there are several ways that you can maintain your mental acuity and stave off conditions like dementia, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s disease. Social engagement and participation in the workforce are among the most notable. No matter the method, though, managing hearing loss through hearing aids makes these activities much easier and contributes in its own way to preventing cognitive issues.
Many studies show that the conditions listed above are all connected to neglected hearing loss. This article will lay out the relationship between cognitive decline and hearing loss and how using hearing aids can decrease the likelihood of these conditions becoming an imminent issue.
The Connection Between Hearing Loss And Cognitive Decline
The connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline has been studied several times over the years by researchers at Johns Hopkins. The results of each study told the same story: cognitive decline was more prevalent with individuals who suffer from hearing loss. One study demonstrated, in fact, that there was a 24% higher instance of Alzheimer’s in individuals who have impaired hearing.
Though dementia isn’t directly caused by hearing loss there is certainly a link. When you can’t properly process sound your brain has to work overtime according to leading theories. That means that activities like cognition and memory, which demand more energy, can’t function efficiently because your brain has to spend so much of that energy on more simple tasks.
Your mental health can also be severely impacted by hearing loss. Anxiety, social isolation, and depression have all been associated with hearing loss and there might even be a connection with schizophrenia. All of these conditions also lead to cognitive decline – as noted above, one of the optimum ways to safeguard your mental sharpness is to stay socially active. Frequently, individuals who have hearing loss will resort to self isolation because they feel self conscious around other people. The lack of human contact can cause the other mental health issues listed above and potentially lead to cognitive impairments.
How a Hearing Aid Can Help You Safeguard Your Mental Faculties
One of the best resources we have to combat dementia and other cognition conditions like Alzheimer’s is hearing aids. Sadly, most people who require hearing aids don’t use them. It might be a stigma or a previous bad experience that keeps people from hearing aids, but the fact is that they are proven to help people hear better and maintain their cognitive functions for longer periods of time.
When your hearing is harmed for a prolonged amount of time, the brain may forget how to identify some common sounds and will have to relearn them. It’s essential to help your brain go back to processing more important tasks and hearing aids can do just that by stopping this problem in the first place and helping you relearn any sounds the brain has forgotten.
Get in touch with us today to learn what options are available to help you begin hearing better in this decade and beyond.