Let’s be clear: Keeping your mind clear and preventing cognitive conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s can be accomplished in several ways. Remaining social is one of the most important while engaging in the workforce seems to be another. No matter the method, though, treating hearing loss through hearing aids makes these activities a lot easier and contributes in its own way to preventing cognitive issues.
These conditions, according to many studies, are frequently directly connected to hearing loss. This article will lay out the link between cognitive decline and hearing loss and how using hearing aids can reduce the likelihood of these conditions becoming an impending problem.
The Connection Between Hearing Loss And Cognitive Decline
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have conducted numerous studies over the years to examine the link between cognitive decline and hearing loss. The same story was revealed by each study: individuals with hearing loss suffered from dementia and cognitive decline in higher rates than those without. One study demonstrated, in fact, that there was a 24% higher instance of Alzheimer’s in individuals who have diminished hearing.
Though dementia isn’t specifically caused by hearing loss there is definitely a connection. When you can’t properly process sound your brain has to work overtime according to leading theories. That means your brain is spending more valuable energy on relatively simple activities, leaving a lot less of that energy for more complicated processes like memory or cognitive functions.
Hearing loss can also have a significant impact on your mental health. Anxiety, depression, and social isolation have all been associated with hearing loss and there could even be a connection with schizophrenia. Remaining socially engaged, as noted, is the best way to protect your mental health and preserve your cognitive ability. Often, individuals who have hearing loss will resort to self isolation because they feel self conscious around other people. The lack of human contact can lead to the other mental health issues mentioned above and eventually lead to cognitive impairments.
How a Hearing Aid Can Help You Safeguard Your Mental Faculties
One of the best resources we have to combat dementia and other cognition disorders like Alzheimer’s is hearing aids. The issue is that only one out of seven of the millions of people over the age of 50 who suffer from hearing loss actually wear a hearing aid. People may stay away from hearing aids because they’ve had a bad experience in the past or perhaps they hold some kind of stigma, but in fact, hearing aids have been proven to help people preserve their cognitive function by helping them hear better.
When your hearing is damaged for an extended amount of time, the brain may forget how to recognize some common sounds and will have to learn them all over again. A hearing aid can either prevent that scenario from happening in the first place or assist you in relearning those sounds, which will enable your brain to focus on other, more essential tasks.
If you want to find out what options are available to help you start hearing better get in touch with us.
