Taking care of your hearing loss can be helpful for your brain. At least, that’s according to a new study out of a University of Manchester study team. Over the period of about 20 years (1996 to 2014), nearly 2000 men and women were studied by these analysts. The outstanding findings? Dementia can be delayed by up to 75% by managing your hearing loss.
That is not a small figure.
Nevertheless, it’s not all all that surprising. That’s not to detract from the importance of the finding, of course, that type of statistical correlation between hearing loss treatment and the battle against dementia is noteworthy and shocking. But it coordinates well with what we already know: as you age, it’s essential to treat your hearing loss if you want to slow down cognitive decline.
How am I Impacted by This Research?
You can’t always trust the information provided in scientific studies because it can frequently be contradictory. The causes for that are long, diverse, and not all that relevant to our discussion here. The main point here is: yet further proof, this research implies untreated loss of hearing can result in or exacerbate cognitive decline including dementia.
So for you personally, what does this indicate? It’s simple in several ways: you need to come see us immediately if you’ve noticed any hearing loss. And, if you require a hearing aid, you should absolutely begin using that hearing aid as directed.
Hearing Aids Help Prevent Dementia When You Wear Them Correctly
Unfortunately, when most people are prescribed with hearing aids, they don’t always immediately get into the habit of using them. Some of the reasons why are:
- The hearing aid isn’t feeling as if it fits very well. If you are experiencing this problem, please get in touch with us. They can fit better and we’re here to help.
- It’s hard to make out voices. In some cases, it takes time for your brain to adjust to recognizing voices again. There are some things we can recommend, including reading along with an audiobook, that can help make this process easier.
- How hearing aids look concerns you. Today, we have a lot of variations available which might surprise you. In addition, many hearing aid models are designed to be very discreet.
- The way that the hearing aid is advertised to work, doesn’t seem to be the way it’s currently working. Many people need to have their settings adjusted, and calibration problems are definitely something that can be addressed by our hearing specialists.
Clearly using your hearing aids is important to your health and future mental abilities. If you’re struggling with any of the above, come see us for an adjustment. Sometimes the solution will take time or patience, but consulting your hearing professional to ensure your hearing aids work for you is a part of the process.
It’s more significant than ever to take care of your hearing loss specifically taking into consideration the new findings. Take the treatment seriously because hearing aids are safeguarding your hearing and your mental health.
Hearing Aids And Dementia, What’s The Link?
So why are these two conditions loss of hearing and dementia even linked in the first place? Social solitude is the leading theory but experts are not 100% certain. Many people, when dealing with hearing loss, become less socially involved. Yet another theory relates to sensory stimulation. In time, if a person loses sensory stimulation, such as hearing loss, the brain gets less activity which then results in cognitive decline.
You hear better with a hearing aid. And that can help keep your brain active, creating a more effective natural defense against dementia and cognitive decline. That’s why a connection between the two shouldn’t be surprising and why hearing loss treatments can slow dementia by as much as 75%.