Do you suffer from hearing loss? Have you been putting off the decision to get hearing aids? Or maybe you think they are unnecessary.
Hearing aids have been shown to halt the progression of hearing loss. Since hearing loss is almost always irreversible, it’s best to stop it at the earliest stage possible.
And now, a new long-term study has shown that wearing hearing aids can also stop cognitive decline that is related to hearing loss. It makes sense: if hearing aids prevent the progression of hearing loss, and hearing loss leads to cognitive decline, then it follows that using hearing aids can help to prevent cognitive decline!
The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, compared cognitive decline in adults with hearing loss that did not use hearing aids and compared it to the cognitive decline of adults with hearing loss that do use hearing aids. There was also a control group: adults without measurable hearing loss.
The results were remarkable: there was no difference found in the rates of cognitive decline between people without hearing loss and those with hearing loss that used hearing aids.
In contrast, the adults with hearing loss that did not use hearing aids and in which their hearing loss went otherwise untreated showed significantly lower scores on the Mimni-Mental State Examination (a well-known assessment of cognitive function). This study was conducted over a period of 25 years, and the results are independent of any other factors, including education, age, or gender.
Adults with hearing loss that use hearing aids report improved communication, which then result in improved mood, more social interactions and increased cognitive stimulating abilities.
The brain-helping technologies of today’s hearing aids assist the brain in remaining active and engaged in the elderly, which combats cognitive decline. The “brain-first” focus that researchers and doctors have adopted will work to further these technologies and help people remain active, healthy and happy well into retirement years.
Here at California Hearing Center we are committed to your hearing health. Call us today to set up an appointment for a hearing screening.
TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER
San Mateo
88 N. San Mateo Drive
San Mateo, California, 94401
Phone: (650) 342-9449
Fax: (650) 342-4435
Email: info@calhearing.com
San Carlos
1008 Laurel Street
San Carlos, California, 94070
Phone: (650) 342-9449
Fax: (650) 342-4435
Email: info@calhearing.com