Your brain can be helped by dealing with your loss of hearing. At least, that’s according to a new study out of a University of Manchester study team. These analysts considered a team of more than 2000 individuals over a time period of approximately 2 decades (1996 to 2014). The attention-getting findings? Dementia can be delayed by as much as 75% by treating hearing loss.
That is not a small number.
Nevertheless, it’s not all all that unexpected. That’s not to detract from the importance of the finding, of course, this is an important statistical connection between the battle against cognitive decline and the treatment of hearing loss. But the insight we already have coordinates with these findings: treating your hearing loss is vital to slowing cognitive decline as you age.
How am I Impacted by This Research?
You can’t always trust the information presented in scientific research because it can frequently be contradictory. There are countless unrelated reasons for this. The bottom line is: this new research is yet further proof that reveals neglected loss of hearing can lead to or exacerbate mental decline including dementia.
So for you personally, what does this indicate? In certain ways, it’s quite straight forward: if you’ve observed any potential signs of hearing loss, come see us in the near future. And you should start wearing that hearing aid as advised if you find out you need one.
When You Use Them Regularly, Hearing Aids Can Prevent Dementia
Unfortunately, not everybody falls right into the practice of using a prescribed pair of hearing aids. Some of the reasons why are:
- How hearing aids look worries you. Today, we have lots of designs available which may surprise you. Some styles are so discreet, you might not even notice them.
- It’s difficult to understand voices. Your brain doesn’t always immediately adapt to understanding voices. We can recommend things to do to help make this endeavor easier, like reading along with an audiobook.
- The hearing aid isn’t feeling like it fits well. If you are experiencing this issue, please give us a call. We can help make it fit better.
- The hearing aid doesn’t feel like it works the way it should. Many people need to have their settings adjusted, and calibration problems are definitely something that can be addressed by our hearing specialists.
Your future cognitive abilities and even your overall health are obviously impacted by wearing hearing aids. We can help if you’re trying to cope with any of the above. Consulting your hearing professional to make sure 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 hearing loss especially taking into consideration the new findings. Hearing aids are defending your hearing health and your mental health so it’s important to take that treatment seriously.
Dementia And Hearing Aids, What’s The Connection?, What’s The Relationship?
So why are these two health conditions loss of hearing and dementia even associated to begin with? Social solitude is the leading theory but scientists are not completely certain. When dealing with loss of hearing, some people hide themselves away socially. Another theory refers to sensory stimulation. Over the years, if a person loses sensory stimulation, like hearing loss, the brain receives less activity which then leads to mental decline.
Your hearing aid helps you hear better. Supplying a natural safeguard for your brain against cognitive decline and helping to keep your brain active. That’s why a relationship between the two should not be surprising and why hearing loss treatments can slow dementia by up to 75%.