Let’s be clear: Keeping your mind clear and avoiding cognitive disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s can be accomplished in several ways. Social engagement and participation in the workforce are among the most noteworthy. Whatever methods you employ to combat cognitive decline, however, keeping your hearing strong and wearing hearing aids if you need them will be tremendously helpful.
Many studies show that the conditions listed above are all connected to untreated hearing loss. What follows is a look at why hearing loss can cause extreme problems with your mental health and how solutions like hearing aids can help you keep your brain working at a higher level for a longer period of time.
The Link Between Hearing Loss And Cognitive Decline
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have conducted several studies over the years to determine the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The results of each study revealed the same story: cognitive decline was more prevalent with people who experience hearing loss. Actually, one study showed that people with hearing loss were 24% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with healthy hearing.
Hearing loss alone does not cause dementia, but there is a link between these conditions. When you can’t properly process sound your brain has to work overtime according to leading theories. That means your brain is using more precious energy on relatively simple activities, leaving a lot less of that energy for more challenging processes such as cognitive function and memory.
Hearing loss can also have a serious 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 active, as noted, is the best way to safeguard your mental health and preserve your cognitive clarity. Frequently, people who have hearing loss will turn to self isolation because they feel self conscious around other people. The mental problems mentioned above are commonly the outcome of the lack of human interaction and can ultimately lead to significant cognitive decline.
How a Hearing Aid Can Help You Safeguard Your Mental Faculties
One of the best tools we have to fight dementia and other cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s is hearing aids. Unfortunately, the majority of people who need hearing aids don’t use them. People might steer clear of hearing aids because they’ve had a bad experience in the past or perhaps they have some kind of stigma, but the fact is that they are proven to help people hear better and preserve their cognitive functions for longer periods of time.
There are circumstances where certain sounds will need to be relearned because they’ve been forgotten after prolonged hearing damage. It’s essential to help your brain get back to processing more important tasks and hearing aids can do just that by preventing this issue in the first place and helping you relearn any sounds the brain has forgotten.
Contact us right away to discover what options are available to help you begin hearing better in this decade and beyond.