That loss of hearing can affect your brain has been verified in numerous studies. (Some of our previous blogs clearly show that.) Hearing Aids, fortunately, have been proven to be able to help you restore some of that cognitive ability.
We’re not saying that you will become smarter just by wearing hearing aids. But there’s some compelling research that suggests cognitive ability can be enhanced by using hearing aids lowering your risk for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
Your Brain is Responsible For a Large Amount of Your Hearing
To comprehend the connection between your ears and cognition, it’s crucial to know that a substantial portion of your hearing actually takes place in your brain. That’s where the vibrations of the world are converted into the sounds of your surroundings. The parts of the brain that translate sound will suddenly have less to do when hearing begins to wane.
Combined with other variables (like social isolation), the alterations in your brain (and hearing) can trigger the onset of specific mental health problems. In people with untreated hearing loss, it’s not unusual to notice an increase in the risks of depression, anxiety, and dementia.
When you wear hearing aids, you’re effectively “treating” your hearing loss. That means:
- You can keep your hearing from becoming worse by wearing hearing aids in conjunction with regular monitoring.
- The regions of your brain responsible for hearing will get a more consistent workout; the more your brain performs work, the healthier your brain will be.
- Social isolation won’t be as likely. Interactions will be easier to understand and follow, so you’ll be more inclined to engage.
Staying Attentive
Hearing aids can prevent depression, anxiety, and dementia because they enhance your brain and your social life.
- The health of your inner ear: Inner ear damage is not caused by loss of hearing alone. But there is often a common cause for both loss of hearing and damage to the inner ear. In some cases, a hearing aid is a component of the treatment strategy for hearing loss which can also help inner ear injury.
- State of the art technology: Hearing aids have begun incorporating novel technology that can actually notify emergency contacts (or emergency services) when someone wearing the hearing aids has a fall. This may not prevent the fall to begin with, but it can lessen lasting injuries or complications caused by the fall.
- Creating greater awareness: At times, you fall because you’re not aware of your environment. Decreased ability to hear can substantially reduce your situational awareness. Not only can it be hard to hear sounds, but it can also be challenging to ascertain what direction sounds are coming from. Without treatment, this can wind up leading to a fall or injury.
Inevitably, when you’re wearing a hearing aid, you’re more likely to steer clear of a fall to begin with. A hearing aid enhances your physical health and your cognitive capacity while performing the essential functions of helping you stay more mindful, more alert, and more dialed in.
Start Using Your Hearing Aid
We haven’t even touched on the fact that a hearing aid will also help you hear. So when you take that amplified hearing, include the mental health advantages and physical well-being, it seems like wearing these devices should be an easy choice (not something you need to overthink).
The problem is that many people don’t know they have hearing loss. When your hearing fades away slowly, you might have a hard time recognizing it. That’s the reason why getting a normal hearing test is necessary. Without hearing aids, hearing loss can worsen a wide variety of other health concerns.
The right hearing aid can, in part, slow the beginning of despair and dementia, while lessening the incidents of some physical injuries. Aside from helping your hearing, hearing aids offer a surprising number of benefits.
