Your hearing can affect many aspects of your life, but did you know that it can also affect the health of your brain? Scientists are starting to find stronger links between our overall brain health and our ability to hear. While this information isn’t too surprising for those of us who are hearing specialists, it may be something new for you to consider.
Hearing Loss And Brain Reorganization
The human brain is incredibly adaptable in the face of challenges. As hearing loss is a common challenge, there have been enough people to study that scientists have discovered that our brains will literally reorganize itself to help deal with a certain amount of hearing loss.
This reorganization, however, is tough on cognitive abilities, especially if it occurs later in life. The link between hearing sounds and comprehending them can be impaired by the brain’s reorganization. Also, human brains become less adaptable as we age, so even mild hearing loss and the resulting reorganization can create difficulty in speech comprehension. If hearing loss is caught early enough, you can stop the reorganization process as well as regain the hearing you have lost.
Link Between Dementia And Hearing Loss
Another far-reaching effect of hearing loss is the link between dementia and hearing loss. Your brain receives transmissions from the auditory nerve and turns those transmissions into actionable input. However, if there is damage to the auditory nerve due to hearing loss, those transmissions can become jumbled, creating confusion in your brain.
A simple of example of this is imagine you are going to bake cookies. But when you look at the recipe, words are missing or just don’t make sense. Hearing loss acts the same way, confusing your brain and causing the reorganization of your cognitive abilities to be less than successful.
How To Prevent Hearing Loss-Related Cognitive Issues
A key factor in preventing deterioration of your brain health is to address and treat your hearing loss early. There are several steps you can take to ensure your cognitive health.
- Hearing exams – Regular, yearly hearing exams can play a large part in catching any hearing loss. As hearing loss is generally gradual, it can be difficult to detect on your own until it has become a serious problem.
- Hearing aids – You can recover a large part of your hearing with the help of hearing aids if you work with our hearing specialists. They will ensure that your personal hearing needs are met and your hearing aids will meet your hearing loss requirements.
At Hearing Associates of Las Vegas, we offer a wide variety of hearing-related services ranging from comprehensive hearing exams to tinnitus treatments. If you would like to work with some of the best hearing specialists to protect your hearing, contact us today for an appointment.
info@hearingassociateslv.com
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