That loss of hearing can impact your brain has been proven in several studies. (Just take a look at some of our past blog posts.) The good news is, it’s also been verified that you can regain some of that cognitive capacity by using hearing aids.
This is not to say that hearing aids are somehow going to make you more intelligent. But there’s some compelling research that suggests hearing aids can improve cognitive abilities, lowering your risk for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
You Carry Out a Lot of Hearing With Your Brain
It’s essential to recognize how big a part your brain plays in hearing if you are going to comprehend the connection between your ears and cognition. That’s where the vibrations of the world are transformed into the sounds of your environment. So as your hearing wanes, the regions of your brain that interpret those sounds suddenly have much less to do.
In combination with other considerations (such as social solitude), the changes in your brain (and hearing) can trigger the onset of certain mental health issues. Depression, dementia, and anxiety are far more evident in people who have untreated hearing loss.
When you wear hearing aids, you’re essentially “treating” your hearing loss. That means:
- The parts of your brain responsible for hearing will get regular workouts; the more your brain performs work, the healthier your brain stays.
- Because you’ll be capable of coupling your hearing aids with regular screening and other treatment methods, you can help keep your hearing from becoming increasingly worse.
- You’ll be less likely to isolate yourself socially. Conversations will be easier to understand and follow, so you’ll be more likely to engage.
Keeping You on Your Toes
Hearing aids can prevent depression, anxiety, and dementia because they enhance your brain and your social life.
- The health of your inner ear: Loss of hearing in and of itself will not trigger inner ear damage. Notwithstanding, sometimes hearing loss and inner ear problems have a mutual cause. So treating the one can help you treat the other, and in some situations, a hearing aid is a part of that treatment regimen.
- New technology: Hearing aids have started incorporating unique technology that can actually notify emergency contacts (or emergency services) when someone wearing the hearing aids has a fall. This may not stop the fall in the first place, but it can lessen long-lasting injuries or complications caused by the fall.
- Building awareness: Sometimes, you fall because you aren’t aware of your environment. Your situational awareness can be seriously hindered by hearing conditions. Determining what direction sound is originating from can be as challenging as hearing sound in general. A fall or other injury can be the consequence.
Ultimately, when you’re using a hearing aid, you’re more likely to avoid a fall to start with. A hearing aid improves your physical health and your cognitive capacity while performing the essential tasks of keeping you more aware, more focused, and more dialed in.
Start Wearing Your Hearing Aid
We haven’t even addressed the fact that a hearing aid can also help you hear. So when you consider that amplified hearing, include the mental health benefits and physical well-being, it seems like wearing these devices should be a simple choice (Pretty obvious).
The problem is that many people don’t know they have hearing loss. It can be hard to identify hearing loss when it develops slowly over time. That’s the reason why getting a routine hearing assessment is essential. A wide range of other health issues can be exacerbated by loss of hearing.
Hearing aids will minimize the chances of physical damage while helping to delay dementia and depression. That’s a striking mix of benefits that hearing aids provide, and they also help your hearing.