Make no mistake: there are a few ways that you can preserve your mental acuity and ward off conditions like dementia, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s disease. Staying social is one of the most essential while participating in the workforce appears to be another. Regardless of the method, though, managing hearing loss through hearing aids makes these activities a lot easier and contributes in its own way to combating cognitive issues.
These conditions, according to numerous studies, are often directly linked to hearing loss. This article will outline the relationship between cognitive decline and hearing loss and how wearing hearing aids can minimize the probability of these conditions becoming an impending issue.
The Link Between Hearing Loss And Cognitive Decline
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have carried out numerous studies over the years to analyze the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The same story was revealed by each study: individuals with hearing loss struggled with dementia and cognitive decline in higher rates than those without. One study revealed, in fact, that there was a 24% higher instance of Alzheimer’s in people who have diminished hearing.
Hearing loss alone does not cause dementia, but there is a link between these conditions. When you can’t properly process sound your brain has to work overtime according to leading theories. That means your brain is spending more precious energy on relatively simple tasks, leaving a lot less of that energy for more complicated processes like memory or cognitive functions.
Hearing loss can also have a serious affect on your mental health. Research has shown that hearing loss is linked to anxiety, depression, and may even influence schizophrenia. Remaining socially active, as noted, is the best way to maintain your mental health and preserve your cognitive clarity. In many cases, hearing loss causes individuals to feel self-conscious around others, which means they’ll turn to isolation instead. The mental issues listed above are frequently the result of the lack of human contact and can inevitably lead to serious cognitive decline.
Keeping Your Mental Faculties Acute With Hearing Aids
One of the best resources we have to fight dementia and other cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s is hearing aids. Unfortunately, the majority of people who require hearing aids don’t wear them. People may avoid hearing aids because they’ve had a negative experience in the past or maybe they hold some kind of stigma, but in fact, hearing aids have been proven to help people protect their cognitive function by helping them hear better.
There are circumstances where certain sounds will have to be relearned because they’ve been forgotten after prolonged hearing damage. A hearing aid can either stop that scenario from happening in the first place or assist you in relearning those sounds, which will permit your brain to focus on other, more important tasks.
Contact us right away to discover what options are available to help you begin hearing better in this decade and beyond.