Let’s be clear: there are several ways that you can maintain your mental acuity and ward off disorders such as cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Social engagement and participation in the workforce are among the most noteworthy. Regardless of the method, though, managing hearing loss by using hearing aids makes these activities a lot easier and contributes in its own way to preventing cognitive problems.
Many studies show that the conditions listed above are all linked to neglected hearing loss. This article will lay out the link between cognitive decline and hearing loss and how using hearing aids can decrease the probability 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 connection between cognitive decline and hearing loss. The results of each study told the same story: individuals with hearing loss struggled with dementia and cognitive decline in higher rates than those without. One study showed, in fact, that there was a 24% higher instance of Alzheimer’s in individuals who have diminished hearing.
Hearing loss by itself does not cause dementia, but there is a connection between the two conditions. When you can’t properly process sound your brain has to work harder according to leading theories. That means your brain is spending more valuable energy on fairly simple tasks, leaving a lot less of that energy for more complicated processes such as memory or cognitive functions.
Hearing loss can also have a significant impact on your mental health. Studies have shown that hearing loss is connected to anxiety, depression, and may even affect schizophrenia. Remaining socially engaged, as mentioned, is the best way to protect your mental health and preserve your cognitive ability. In many cases, hearing loss causes people to feel self-conscious around others, which means they’ll turn to isolation instead. The lack of human interaction can produce the other mental health issues mentioned above and eventually lead to cognitive impairments.
Keeping Your Mental Faculties Sharp With Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are probably one of the best tools we have to preserve mental sharpness and fight disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The problem is that only one out of seven of the millions of people over the age of 50 who suffer from hearing loss actually use a hearing aid. People may steer clear of hearing aids because they’ve had a negative experience in the past or maybe they have some kind of stigma, but in fact, hearing aids have been shown to help people preserve their cognitive function by helping them hear better.
There are situations where specific sounds will have to be relearned because they’ve been forgotten after prolonged hearing damage. It’s important to help your brain get back to processing more important tasks and hearing aids can do just that by stopping this issue in the first place and helping you relearn any sounds the brain has forgotten.
Get in touch with us today to find out what options are available to help you start hearing better in this decade and beyond.