August 22, 2024
Keeping Your Hearing Devices On for Healthier Hearing
While most patients diagnosed with hearing loss are eager to treat it, others question the need for improved hearing since they live a quiet and private lifestyle. At Fort HealthCare Audiology, we often find ourselves faced with questions such as “I live alone and don’t go out much—why would I need hearing devices?” or “What is the point of hearing if no one else is around?”
These same arguments also come from “part-time” hearing aid patients who only wear their hearing devices for family gatherings and social engagements.
Why Wear Hearing Devices?
A study published in 2018 helps support existing evidence that wearing hearing devices can help slow cognitive decline in elderly patients.1 Because our brains are designed to hear sound and process it as we go throughout our day, denying our brain of even soft environmental sounds robs it of important opportunities to process and relearn sound. Over time, untreated hearing loss may result in inadequate brain stimulation, leading to cognitive decline.
The study also revealed that patients who wear hearing devices are less likely to be depressed and more likely to be socially engaged and self-confident in their communication abilities. Social engagement and physical activity help stave off cognitive decline and dementia.
Therefore, it is essential that those with hearing loss wear hearing aids all day, every day—regardless of their lifestyle.
How We Can Help
If challenges with your hearing devices are preventing you from wearing them all day, schedule an appointment with Fort HealthCare Audiology at 920.563.6667 in Fort Atkinson or 262.473.8920 in Whitewater to troubleshoot the issue. Consistent hearing device use is not only important to your hearing health—it’s crucial for your cognitive health as well!