Numerous studies have verified that hearing loss can have an influence on your brain. (Some of our other blogs clearly demonstrate that.) Hearing Aids, luckily, have been proven to be able to help you regain some of that cognitive capacity.
This is not to say that hearing aids are in some way going to make you smarter. But there’s some compelling research that suggests hearing aids can improve cognitive abilities, lowering your risk for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
You Do a Lot of Hearing With Your Brain
To comprehend the connection between your ears and cognition, it’s important to recognize that a significant portion of your hearing actually takes place in your brain. It’s the brain’s task to transform sound vibrations into perceptible sound information. So as your hearing wanes, the regions of your brain that translate those sounds suddenly have much less to do.
When combined with other considerations (such as social solitude), the alterations in your brain (and hearing) can lead to the onset of specific mental health issues. In individuals with untreated hearing loss, it’s not unusual to notice an increase in the chances for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
When you wear hearing aids, you’re effectively “treating” your hearing loss. That means:
- Your brain stays healthier if it continues working; your brain will be getting a more regular workout in the parts responsible for hearing.
- Social alienation will be less likely. You will be more likely to participate with others if you’re able to hear and understand conversations.
- Because you’ll be capable of coupling your hearing aids with routine monitoring and other treatment options, you can help keep your hearing from becoming progressively worse.
Keeping You on Your Toes
Hearing aids enhance your brain and your social life and can prevent depression, anxiety, and dementia.
- Creating greater awareness: Sometimes, because you aren’t aware of your surroundings, you may have a fall. Your situational awareness can be seriously hampered by hearing problems. Not only can it be challenging to hear sounds, but it can also be challenging to figure out which direction sounds are coming from. A fall or other injury can be the outcome.
- Inner ear health: Loss of hearing in and of itself will not trigger inner ear injury. However, sometimes loss of hearing and inner ear damage have a mutual cause. So treating the one can help you treat the other, and in certain situations, a hearing aid is a component of that treatment routine.
- Modern technology: Some modern hearing aids, when someone falls, can immediately notify emergency services. This can prevent long term complications and injuries although it won’t prevent the fall itself.
Ultimately, when you’re wearing a hearing aid, you’re more likely to avoid a fall to start with. A hearing aid keeps you more alert, more mindful, and more connected, strengthening cognitive abilities and physical health in the process.
Start Using Your Hearing Aid
We haven’t even mentioned the fact that a hearing aid will also help you hear. So when you take that amplified hearing, include the mental health benefits and physical well-being, it seems like wearing these devices would be an easy choice (Pretty obvious).
The problem is that many people don’t know they have hearing loss. When your hearing disappears slowly, you might have a hard time noticing. That’s the reason it’s crucial to get your hearing tested regularly. A wide variety of other health concerns can be aggravated by hearing loss.
Hearing aids will reduce the chances of physical injury while helping to slow dementia and depression. Aside from helping your hearing, hearing aids provide a striking number of benefits.
