Between hectic schedules and the distractions of events, it’s all too easy to put off important appointments, such as those with a hearing specialist or for fitting hearing aids. You might not even get around to shopping for hearing aids whatsoever. But hearing loss impacts more than just your ears and delaying treatment can have negative effects on your whole life.
Untreated hearing loss can lead to a higher risk of cognitive decline
A clear link between mental decline and neglected hearing loss has been established by scientists and researchers. This is one reason why delaying treatment is never a good plan.
The impact on hearing
Naturally, it’s evident that putting off treatment for hearing loss isn’t helpful for maintaining your auditory health. By avoiding appointments with a hearing specialist or delaying the purchase of hearing aids, you inadvertently subject your ears to further damage.
You may find yourself continually boosting the volume on your various devices, exacerbating the damage to your ears and speeding up the progression of hearing loss. Using a hearing aid can help alleviate this by selectively amplifying particular frequencies, thereby slowing down the progression of hearing loss.
The link between untreated hearing loss and cognitive function
There’s a close link between your sense of hearing and your brain. Cognitive function can be severely impacted by untreated hearing loss according to some significant research. Over time, cognitive decline can be exacerbated by depression and anxiety brought on by social separation.
Moreover, long-term neglected hearing loss causes the brain to adapt by reallocating resources from processing sound to other functions, such as visual processing, potentially complicating the restoration of healthy hearing function down the road.
Navigating neuroplasticity
In this situation, neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt, can be both a friend and a foe. The brain will have a hard time reverting back to its previous state after it rewires itself to accommodate for sustained untreated hearing loss.
However, it isn’t impossible to undo these effects. In spite of previous delays in getting treatment, utilizing hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still provide significant benefits in both the short and long term.
Set up an appointment with a hearing specialist
While prompt treatment is ideal, it’s never too late to tackle hearing loss. Making an appointment with us as soon as possible is essential, ensuring you can enjoy better hearing and cognitive function going forward. Call today!