That loss of hearing can affect your brain has been proven in numerous studies. (Just take a look at some of our past blog posts.) The good news is, it’s also been proven that you can regain some of that cognitive ability through hearing aids.
This is not saying that hearing aids are in some way going to make you more intelligent. But there’s some compelling research that suggests hearing aids can enhance cognitive abilities, lowering your risk for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
You Carry Out a Lot of Hearing With Your Brain
To comprehend the connection between cognition and your ears, it’s important to know that a substantial portion of your hearing actually happens in your brain. That’s where the vibrations of the world are transformed into the sounds of your environment. So as your hearing wanes, the parts of your brain that interpret those sounds suddenly have a lot less to do.
Combined with other considerations (like social isolation), the changes in your brain (and hearing) can lead to the onset of certain mental health issues. Anxiety, depression, and dementia are a lot more evident in people who have untreated hearing loss.
When you wear hearing aids, you’re essentially “treating” your hearing loss. That means:
- You won’t be as likely to isolate yourself socially. Interactions will be easier to comprehend and follow, so you’ll be more likely to participate.
- You can keep your hearing from becoming worse by using hearing aids in conjunction with regular screening.
- Your brain stays healthier if it continues doing work; your brain will be getting a more frequent workout in the parts responsible for hearing.
Keeping You on Your Toes
Hearing aids can lessen dementia, anxiety, and depression because they enhance your brain and your social life.
- State of the art technology: Hearing aids have begun containing unique technology that is able to notify emergency contacts (or emergency services) when a person using the hearing aids experiences a fall. This might not prevent the fall in the first place, but it can prevent lasting injuries or complications caused by the fall.
- Creating better awareness: Sometimes, you fall because you’re not aware of your environment. Diminished ability to hear can drastically reduce your situational awareness. Not only can it be hard to hear sounds, but it can also be challenging to figure out what direction sounds are coming from. Without treatment, this can wind up resulting in injury or a fall.
- The health of your inner ear: Loss of hearing in and of itself will not result in inner ear damage. Notwithstanding, sometimes hearing loss and inner ear issues have a mutual cause. So treating the one can help you treat the other, and in some situations, a hearing aid is a part of that treatment routine.
To be honest, you have a higher chance of avoiding a fall when you’re wearing hearing aids. A hearing aid helps you stay more alert, more mindful, and more tuned in, strengthening cognitive abilities and general health at the same time.
Stop Ignoring Your Hearing Aid
We haven’t even touched on the fact that a hearing aid can also improve your hearing. So it seems like when you consider all of the benefits linked to wearing hearing aids, it’s a no brainer. (not something you need to put your thinking cap on for).
The problem is that many people don’t know they have hearing loss. It can be challenging to recognize hearing loss when it develops gradually over time. That’s the reason it’s essential to get your hearing tested on a regular basis. A wide range of other health problems can be aggravated by hearing loss.
Hearing aids will lessen the likelihood of physical injury while helping to slow dementia and depression. Aside from helping you hear, hearing aids offer a surprising number of benefits.