Putting off on important appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amidst the hustle and bustle of day-to-day events. You might even find yourself hesitating to get hearing aids altogether. However, putting off on treatment for hearing loss is far more than just a mistake concerning your ears alone.
The connection to mental decline
Scientists have proven a clear connection between untreated hearing loss and mental decline. This is one reason why delaying treatment is never a good plan.
Hearing loss will get worse if it’s neglected
Obviously, it’s evident that putting off treatment for hearing loss isn’t helpful for preserving your auditory health. You unintentionally cause more harm to your hearing if you delay getting a hearing test or hearing aids if you need them.
You might find yourself continually boosting the volume on your various devices, exacerbating the damage to your ears and speeding up the progression of hearing loss. Wearing a hearing aid can help mitigate this by selectively amplifying particular frequencies, thereby slowing down the progression of hearing loss.
The connection between untreated hearing loss and cognitive function
There’s a direct connection between your sense of hearing and your brain. Mental function can be seriously impacted by neglected hearing loss according to some significant research. Social solitude, often a consequence of diminished hearing, can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, which in turn can exacerbate mental decline over time.
Furthermore, prolonged untreated hearing loss prompts 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
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 recovery, sustained neglected hearing loss can result in considerable rewiring of the brain, making it challenging to revert to previous functionality.
But it is possible to undo this effect. In spite of previous delays in seeking treatment, using hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still deliver substantial benefits in both the short and long term.
Schedule 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 get help. Scheduling an appointment with us as soon as possible is essential, ensuring you can enjoy better hearing and cognitive function going forward. Call today!