Treating your loss of hearing can be good for your brain. At least, that’s according to a new study by a team of analysts out of the University of Manchester. These analysts examined a team of around 2000 individuals over the course of just about 2 decades (1996 to 2014). The unexpected results? Treating your hearing loss can delay dementia by up to 75%.

That is not a small figure.

Nevertheless, it’s not really that unexpected. The significance of the finding, of course, is still useful, this is an important statistical correlation between the fight against cognitive decline and the treatment of hearing loss. But the insight we already have aligns well with these findings: treating your loss of hearing is vital to slowing dementia as you get older.

How am I Impacted by This Research?

Scientific studies can be perplexing and contradictory (should I eat eggs, should I not eat eggs? What about wine? Will that help me live longer?). There are many unrelated causes for this. The bottom line is: this new study is yet further proof that reveals untreated loss of hearing can result in or worsen mental decline including dementia.

So for you personally, what does this imply? In many ways, it’s quite straight forward: if you’ve been noticing any possible symptoms of hearing loss, come see us soon. And, if you need a hearing aid, you should absolutely start wearing that hearing aid as advised.

Hearing Aids Help Prevent Dementia When You Wear Them Regularly

Sadly, not everybody falls right into the habit of wearing a prescribed pair of hearing aids. Some of the reasons why are:

• You’re concerned about how hearing aids appear. You’d be amazed at the variety of models we have available nowadays. Also, many hearing aid models are designed to be very discreet.
• It’s challenging to understand voices. In many instances, it takes time for your brain to adapt to recognizing voices again. There are things we can suggest, including reading along with an audiobook, that can help make this process go more smoothly.
• The hearing aid doesn’t feel like it fits perfectly. If you are having this problem, please let us know. 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.

Clearly using your hearing aids is crucial to your health and future mental faculties. If you’re having difficulties with any of the above, get in touch with us for an adjustment. Quite often the answer will take patience and time, but consulting your hearing professional to ensure your hearing aids are working for you is just part of the process.

And taking into consideration these new findings, dealing with your hearing loss is more significant than ever before. Take the treatment seriously because hearing aids are defending your hearing and your mental health.

What’s The Connection Between Hearing Aids And Dementia?

So what’s the actual connection between dementia and loss of hearing? Specialists themselves aren’t exactly sure, but some theories are associated with social solitude. Some people, when faced with loss of hearing, become less socially active. A different theory refers to sensory stimulation. All senses stimulate activity in the brain, and some researchers theorize that losing stimulation can lead to cognitive decline over time.

You hear better when you wear your hearing aid. And that can help keep your brain active, offering a more effective natural defense against dementia and cognitive decline. That’s why a connection between the two should not be unexpected and why hearing loss treatments can slow down dementia by up to 75%.