Putting off on essential appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amongst the hustle and bustle of daily events. You may not even get around to shopping for hearing aids whatsoever. However, delaying treatment for hearing loss is a lot more than just a mistake concerning your ears alone.
The connection to mental decline
A clear link between mental decline and neglected hearing loss has been demonstrated by scientists and researchers. This is one reason why delaying treatment is never a good plan.
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 delay getting a hearing exam 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. Hearing aids can increase specific frequencies of sound thereby delaying the development of hearing loss.
The connection to mental function
Your brain and your hearing are closely connected. Mental function can be seriously impacted by neglected hearing loss according to some substantial research. Over time, mental decline can be exacerbated by depression and anxiety caused by social separation.
Also, the recovery of normal hearing function can be complicated because untreated 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 remarkable ability to adapt, known as neuroplasticity, is both a friend and a foe in this situation. The brain will have a hard time reverting back to its previous state after it rewires itself to accommodate for extended untreated hearing loss.
But it is possible to reverse this effect. In spite of previous delays in getting treatment, utilizing hearing aids as prescribed by a specialist can still deliver significant benefits in both the short and long term.
Call us for an appointment
You should obviously seek treatment as soon as you can, but even if you’ve delayed for a while, it’s not too late to seek help. If you’re ready to enjoy better hearing and stronger mental function, call us today for an assessment!