Your brain can be helped by treating your hearing loss. At least, that’s according to a new study from a University of Manchester study group. These analysts considered a team of around 2000 participants over a time period of nearly twenty years (1996 to 2014). The outstanding conclusions? Treating your loss of hearing can delay dementia by up to 75%.
That is not a small figure.
But is it actually that surprising? The importance of the finding, of course, is still useful, that kind of statistical relationship between hearing loss treatment and the battle against dementia is important and eye-popping. But it coordinates well with what we already know: as you get older, it’s essential to treat your hearing loss if you want to hold off cognitive decline.
How am I Impacted by This Research?
Scientific research can be inconsistent and confusing (should I eat eggs, should I not eat eggs? What about wine? Will that help me live longer?). The reasons for that are long, varied, and not all that pertinent to our discussion here. The bottom line is: yet further proof, this research reveals untreated loss of hearing can lead to or exacerbate cognitive decline including dementia.
So for you personally, what does this indicate? It’s straightforward in many ways: if you’ve observed any possible indications of hearing loss, come see us as soon as you can. And, if you need a hearing aid, you should absolutely start wearing that hearing aid as advised.
Hearing Aids Help Prevent Dementia When You Use Them Regularly
Unfortunately, not everyone falls right into the habit of using a prescribed pair of hearing aids. The usual reasons why include:
- 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.
- The hearing aid doesn’t feel as if it fits well. If you are having this problem, please let us know. We can help make it fit better.
- Voices are difficult to understand. In some cases, it takes time for your brain to adapt to recognizing voices again. There are some things we can recommend, such as reading along with an audiobook, that can make this process easier.
- How hearing aids look concerns you. You’d be amazed at the variety of models we have available now. Some models are so discreet, you may not even notice them.
Clearly using your hearing aids is important to your health and future cognitive abilities. If you’re struggling with any of the above, come see us for an adjustment. Consulting your hearing expert to make certain your hearing aids are working for you is just part of the process and it requires time and patience.
It’s more significant than ever to deal with your loss of hearing specifically in the light of the new findings. Hearing aids are protecting your hearing health and your mental health so it’s crucial to be serious about treatment.
Dementia And Hearing Aids, What’s The Connection?, What’s The Link?
So why are these two conditions dementia and hearing loss even linked to begin with? Social isolation is the prominent theory but experts are not completely sure. Many people, when faced with loss of hearing, become less socially active. Sensory stimulation is the basis of another theory. Over time, if a person loses sensory stimulation, like hearing loss, the brain receives less activity which then leads to cognitive decline.
Your hearing aid allows you to hear better. And that can help keep your brain active, delivering a more effective natural safeguard against dementia and cognitive decline. That’s why taking care of hearing loss can slow dementia by as much as 75% percent and why it shouldn’t be surprising that there is a connection between the two.