Can Hearing Aids Help How Your Brain Works?
A scientific study published in February of 2020 in Frontiers in Neuroscience investigated whether people with age-related hearing loss can improve how their brain works and even reverse its decline by using well-fitted hearing aids.
The Link Between Hearing and Brain Function
First, what is the link between hearing and brain function, and why is it important? Citing other sources, the article states these facts:
Age-related hearing loss affects more than 30% of adults over 50.
It roughly doubles every ten years.
It is the third leading health condition among aging adults.
It is related to problems with communication, physical function, psychosocial status, and cognitive decline.
Less than 15% of people in the U.S. who could benefit from hearing aids use them.
These statistics show that age-related hearing loss affects many aging adults, and it is largely untreated. Therefore, it is a national health problem that needs to be addressed. Since other sources already noted the strong association between age-related hearing loss and brain function, the scientists writing the article decided to study whether hearing aids could help this aspect.
How Hearing Aids Help
The study fitted a group of adults with age-related hearing loss with hearing aids, let the adults wear the hearing aids for a period of six months, and then measured how the devices had “influenced cortical neuroplasticity, speech perception, and cognitive outcomes.” It compared this group to a control group that was not fitted with hearing aids. In short, the study found that the group fitted with hearing aids experienced an increase in brain function and a reversal in cognitive decline. For more specific details, you can read the article yourself.
How We Can Help
Fortunately, you don’t have to understand all the details in this study to benefit from its findings. If you are one of the many adults experiencing age-related hearing loss, you should seek help. Please contact us online or call 864-881-1663 to schedule an appointment. Our four convenient locations in Simpsonville, Greer, Travelers Rest, and Greenville will make getting your tinnitus checked easy. Plus, we even offer Saturday hours with our audiologist in our Simpsonville location.
If you are struggling with hearing loss and want to live your life to the fullest, we want to help! Contact us today!
