Hearing Aids Help Your Brain Health

It’s no surprise that hearing loss makes it difficult for individuals to take in the sounds from the world around them. But you may not realize that untreated hearing loss can lead to cognitive impairment.

Suppose you or a loved one are exhibiting signs of hearing loss. In that case, it’s vital to undergo a hearing evaluation and get the treatment you need to lower the chances of developing cognitive impairments.

In fact, a recent study found that those experiencing hearing loss were two times more likely to develop cognitive impairment than individuals with normal hearing.

Follow along as El Dorado Hearing explains how hearing loss can lead to cognitive impairments and how hearing aids can help keep your brain healthy.

Hearing Loss and Cognitive Impairment

As we get older, it’s natural for the nerve connections between our brain cells to become lost or damaged. As a result, the individual may between showing signs of cognitive decline, such as:

• Becoming increasingly forgetful
• Forgetting important dates or events
• Regularly losing their train of thought
• Becoming overwhelmed when making decisions

While cognitive decline is expected as we age, hearing-related problems can exasperate the symptoms. Our ears allow us to take in sounds from the world around us. The sounds enter and travel through the inner ear to be processed by the brain. To correctly decipher the sounds, both ears and brain were functioning properly.

However, individuals experiencing hearing loss will not use their brain to process sounds often (or at all). Because the brain isn’t working as frequently for sound processing, it is believed to lead to a cognitive decline.

How Hearing Aids Help Your Brain Health

You can do many things to maintain brain health as you age, such as getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, getting mental stimulation, and remaining socially active. But if you are experiencing hearing loss, you can’t rely on your brain to get a mental workout through sound processing.

While the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline is still being explored, it is believed that treating your hearing loss can help prevent (or slow down) cognitive impairment. If you have hearing loss, it’s important to undergo a hearing evaluation to get to the root of the problem. While hearing loss symptoms can be heightened from depression, social isolation, and anxiety, they can often be remedied with hearing aids.

Hearing aids help amplify the noises around you, allowing your ears to take in sounds — thus enabling your brain to process the sounds for you to understand. Treating your hearing loss with hearing aids will help keep your brain active and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Don’t put off scheduling an appointment with a hearing specialist if you’re experiencing hearing loss.

Schedule a Hearing Test with El Dorado Hearing of Tucson

One of the most effective hearing loss treatments is hearing aids. By using hearing aids regularly, you’ll be helping keep your brain and mind sharp. Hearing aids are available in many sizes, styles, and technologies, allowing individuals to find a pair that meets their specific needs.

To determine if you’re a candidate for hearing aids, our team offers a complete hearing evaluation to help manage your hearing loss. Our hearing specialists are highly experienced and provide an in-depth hearing assessment to evaluate whether you have hearing loss and the extent to which the loss affects you.

We strive to make our hearing offices comfortable where everyone feels welcome. We’ll help you find the proper hearing aids to restore your hearing. For personalized hearing testing in Tucson, AZ, make El Dorado Hearing of Tucson first on your list.

If you are ready to regain control of your hearing and help your brain health, visit us at one of our hearing clinics. Contact us today to set up an appointment with one of our caring and expert hearing specialists!