Woman preventing Alzheimers with a puzzle and using hearing aids.

Make no mistake: there are several ways that you can maintain your mental acuteness and ward off conditions like dementia, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s disease. Social engagement and involvement in the workforce are among the most noteworthy. Regardless of the method, though, managing hearing loss through hearing aids makes these activities a lot easier and contributes in its own way to battling cognitive problems.

Many studies show that the conditions listed above are all linked to untreated hearing loss. The following is a look at why hearing loss can lead to extreme issues with your mental health and how solutions like hearing aids can help you keep your brain running at a higher level for a longer period of time.

How Hearing Loss Contributes to Cognitive Decline

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have carried out numerous studies over the years to analyze the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The results of each study told the same story: people with hearing loss experienced dementia and cognitive decline in higher rates than those without. Actually, one study showed that individuals with hearing loss were 24% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with healthy hearing.

Even though dementia isn’t directly caused by hearing loss there is definitely a link. When you can’t effectively process sound your brain has to work overtime according to leading theories. That means your brain is spending more precious energy on relatively simple activities, leaving a lot less of that energy for more advanced processes such as memory or cognitive functions.

Your mental health can also be significantly impacted by hearing loss. Research has shown that hearing loss is linked to anxiety, depression, and might even influence schizophrenia. All of these conditions also produce cognitive decline – as mentioned above, one of the optimum ways to safeguard your mental acuity is to remain socially engaged. Frequently, people who have hearing loss will turn to self isolation because they feel self conscious around other people. The lack of human contact can produce the other mental health issues listed above and potentially 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 cognitive conditions like Alzheimer’s is hearing aids. Sadly, the majority of people who need hearing aids don’t wear them. People may steer clear of hearing aids because they’ve had a negative experience in the past or perhaps they hold some kind of stigma, but the fact is that they are proven to help people hear better and maintain their cognitive functions for longer periods of time.

When your hearing is damaged for a prolonged amount of time, the brain could forget how to identify some everyday sounds and will have to learn them all over again. A hearing aid can either prevent that scenario from occurring in the first place or help you relearn those sounds, which will let your brain focus on other, more important tasks.

Get in touch with us today to learn what options are available to help you begin hearing better in this decade and beyond.

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The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.
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