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 might even find yourself hesitating to get hearing aids altogether. But hearing loss impacts more than just your ears and delaying treatment can have detrimental effects on your whole life.
The connection to mental decline
A clear link between cognitive decline and untreated hearing loss has been established by scientists and researchers. This is one reason why delaying treatment is never a good plan.
Hearing loss will worsen if it goes untreated
Naturally, it’s evident that delaying treatment for hearing loss isn’t helpful for maintaining your auditory health. You inadvertently cause more damage to your hearing if you delay getting a hearing test or hearing aids if you need them.
The progression of your hearing loss will be accelerated if you continuously need to crank up the volume on your devices. Hearing aids can boost specific frequencies of sound thereby delaying the advancement of hearing loss.
The link between untreated hearing loss and mental function
Your brain and your hearing are closely linked. Cognitive function can be seriously impacted by untreated hearing loss according to some substantial research. Over time, mental decline can be worsened by depression and anxiety caused by social isolation.
Moreover, prolonged 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 down the road.
Navigating neuroplasticity
The brain’s amazing ability to adapt, known as neuroplasticity, is both a friend and a foe in this situation. While it allows for flexibility and restoration, prolonged neglected hearing loss can result in considerable rewiring of the brain, making it challenging to return to previous functionality.
However, it isn’t impossible to reverse these effects. In spite of previous delays in seeking treatment, using hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still provide substantial benefits in both the short and long term.
Set up an appointment with a hearing specialist
You should obviously seek treatment as soon as possible, but even if you’ve delayed for a while, it’s not too late to seek help. If you’re ready to enjoy better hearing and stronger cognitive function, call us today for an assessment!