Putting off on essential appointments, like your hearing aid fitting, is all too easy amidst the hustle and bustle of day-to-day events. You may even find yourself hesitating to get hearing aids altogether. However, putting off on treatment for hearing loss is far more than just a misstep concerning your ears alone.
The connection to mental decline
Scientists have demonstrated a clear connection between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline. This is one reason why delaying treatment is never a good plan.
Hearing loss will get worse if it goes untreated
Naturally, it’s evident that putting off treatment for hearing loss isn’t conducive to maintaining your auditory health. By avoiding appointments with a hearing specialist or holding off on the purchase of hearing aids, you inadvertently subject your ears to further damage.
The development of your hearing loss will be accelerated if you continuously need to crank up the volume on your devices. Hearing aids can amplify particular frequencies of sound thereby slowing down the development of hearing loss.
The connection between neglected hearing loss and mental function
Your brain and your hearing are closely connected. Research indicates that untreated hearing loss can have substantial repercussions on cognitive function. Social solitude, frequently a consequence of weakened hearing, can result in mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, which in turn can worsen cognitive decline over time.
Also, the restoration of normal hearing function can be complicated because untreated hearing loss will force the brain to adjust by reallocating mental resources from other functions, such as visual processes, over to auditory processes.
Navigating neuroplasticity
In this scenario, neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adapt, can be both a friend and a foe. While it allows for flexibility and restoration, extended neglected hearing loss can lead to significant rewiring of the brain, making it challenging to return to previous functionality.
However, it’s not impossible to reverse these effects. In both the short and the long term, using hearing aids can bring significant benefits even if you’ve held off on getting treatment for some time.
Schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist
You should obviously seek 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 important, ensuring you can enjoy better hearing and mental function going forward. Call today!