Taking care of your loss of hearing can be helpful for your brain. At least, that’s according to a new study by a team of researchers from the University of Manchester. Over the period of approximately 20 years (1996 to 2014), nearly 2000 men and women were looked at by these investigators. The striking outcome? Dementia can be delayed by up to 75% by dealing with loss of hearing.
That is not a small figure.
And yet, it’s not really all that unexpected. The importance of the finding, of course, is still relevant, this is an important statistical connection between the fight against dementia and the treatment of hearing loss. But it coordinates well with what we currently know: treating your loss of hearing is essential to slowing dementia as you age.
How am I Impacted by This Research?
Scientific research can be perplexing and contradictory (should I eat eggs, shouldn’t I eat eggs? How about wine? Will that help me live longer?). There are countless unrelated reasons for this. Because here’s the bottom line: this new research is yet further proof that implies untreated loss of hearing can result in or exacerbate mental decline including dementia.
So what does this indicate for you? In some ways, it’s quite straight forward: you should set up an appointment with us as soon as possible if you’ve observed any loss of hearing. And you need to begin wearing that hearing aid as directed if you find out you need one.
When You Wear Them Correctly, Hearing Aids Can Prevent Dementia
Unfortunately, not everyone falls right into the practice of using a prescribed pair of hearing aids. The usual reasons why include:
- You’re anxious about how hearing aids look. You’d be amazed at the range of models we have available nowadays. In addition, many hearing aid styles are created to be very unobtrusive.
- It’s difficult to understand voices. Your brain doesn’t always instantly adjust to hearing voices. We can recommend things to do to help make this endeavor go more smoothly, like reading along with a book recording.
- The hearing aid isn’t feeling like it fits properly. If you are suffering from this issue, please let us know. We can help make it fit better.
- The way that the hearing aid is supposed 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.
Your future mental abilities and even your health as a whole are clearly affected by using hearing aids. We can help if you’re trying to cope with any of the above. Working with your hearing professional to make certain your hearing aids are working for you is just part of the process and it demands time and patience.
And in light of these new findings, treating your hearing loss is more important than ever before. Be serious about the treatment because hearing aids are defending your hearing and your mental health.
Hearing Aids And Dementia, What’s The Connection?
So what’s the real link between dementia and hearing loss? Experts themselves aren’t exactly sure, but some theories are associated with social solitude. Some people, when faced with hearing loss, become less socially active. Sensory stimulation is the foundation of another theory. In time, if a person loses sensory stimulation, like hearing loss, the brain receives less activity which then leads to cognitive decline.
You hear better with a hearing aid. Supplying a natural safeguard for your brain against cognitive decline and helping to keep your brain active. That’s why dealing with hearing loss can delay dementia by as much as 75% percent and why it shouldn’t be unexpected that there is a connection between the two.