Let’s be clear: Keeping your mind sharp and preventing cognitive conditions including dementia and Alzheimer’s can be accomplished in numerous ways. Remaining socially active is one of the most important while engaging in the workforce appears to be another. Whichever methods are used to deal with cognitive decline, however, keeping your hearing strong and using hearing aids if you need them will be extremely helpful.
These disorders, according to many studies, are frequently directly linked to hearing loss. This article will lay out the link between cognitive decline and hearing loss and how wearing hearing aids can minimize the likelihood of these conditions becoming an impending problem.
The Relationship Between Hearing Loss And Cognitive Decline
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have conducted numerous studies over the years to examine the link between cognitive decline and hearing loss. The results of each study told the same story: people with hearing loss struggled with dementia and cognitive decline in higher rates than those without. Actually, one study showed that individuals with hearing loss were 24% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with healthy hearing.
Hearing loss by itself does not cause dementia, but there is a connection between these conditions. The primary theories suggest that your brain has to work overtime when you can’t effectively process sounds. That means that tasks such as memory and cognition, which demand more energy, can’t function at full capacity because your brain has to use so much of that energy on more basic tasks.
Hearing loss can also have a significant impact on your mental health. Studies have shown that hearing loss is connected to depression, social isolation, anxiety, and may even affect schizophrenia. Remaining socially engaged, as mentioned, is the best way to maintain your mental health and preserve your cognitive ability. In many instances, hearing loss causes individuals to feel self-conscious out in public, which means they’ll turn to seclusion instead. The mental issues listed above are typically the result of the lack of human contact and can ultimately lead to serious cognitive decline.
Keeping Your Mental Faculties Sharp With Hearing Aids
One of the best resources we have to combat dementia and other cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s is hearing aids. Sadly, the majority of people who require hearing aids don’t use them. People may steer clear of hearing aids because they’ve had a negative experience in the past or maybe they hold some kind of stigma, but the fact is that they are proven to help people hear better and preserve their cognitive functions for longer periods of time.
There are circumstances where certain sounds will need 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 enable your brain to focus on other, more essential tasks.
Contact us today to find out what options are available to help you start hearing better in this decade and beyond.