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 may not even get around to shopping for hearing aids at all. However, delaying treatment for hearing loss is a lot more than just a misstep concerning your ears alone.
Untreated hearing loss can result in a greater risk of mental decline
A clear connection between cognitive decline and neglected hearing loss has been established by scientists and researchers. This underscores the crucial importance of not delaying treatment, as it can have adverse effects on your brain function too.
Hearing loss will worsen if it goes untreated
If you care about your hearing health, it’s important to never ignore any symptoms of hearing loss. You inadvertently cause more damage to your hearing if you put off on getting a hearing examination or hearing aids if you need them.
The advancement of your hearing loss will be quickened if you continuously need to crank up the volume on your devices. Using a hearing aid can help mitigate this by selectively amplifying particular frequencies, thereby delaying the development of hearing loss.
The link to mental function
Your brain and your hearing are closely linked. Research indicates that untreated hearing loss can have considerable repercussions on mental function. Social isolation, often a consequence of diminished hearing, can lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, which in turn can worsen mental decline over time.
Also, the restoration of normal hearing function can be complicated because neglected hearing loss will force the brain to adapt by reallocating mental resources from other functions, such as visual processes, over to auditory processes.
Navigating neuroplasticity
The brain’s phenomenal ability to adapt, known as neuroplasticity, is both a friend and a foe in this scenario. While it allows for flexibility and restoration, extended untreated hearing loss can lead to considerable rewiring of the brain, making it challenging to return to previous functionality.
However, it’s not impossible to undo these effects. Despite previous delays in getting treatment, using hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still yield significant benefits in both the short and long term.
Give us a call for an appointment
You should obviously find treatment as soon as you can, but even if you’ve put off for a while, it’s not too late to seek help. Making an appointment with us as soon as possible is crucial, ensuring you can enjoy improved hearing and mental function moving forward. Call today!
