How Hearing Aids Keep Your Brain Fit

Hearing aids do more than just help you hear—they also help your brain stay active and sharp. According to the July 30th, 2020 Report by the Lancet Commission: Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care, modifying 12 risk factors from childhood to late life could delay or prevent 40% of dementia cases. Adjusting lifestyle factors can reduce the risk of developing dementia, and hearing health plays a critical role.

The Brain Forgets Sounds

Untreated hearing loss not only affects your ability to hear but also impacts the brain’s memory of everyday sounds. The brain stores sounds for some years following the onset of hearing loss, but without proper auditory stimulation, this memory weakens over time. When hearing nerves lose function, they no longer send signals to the brain, causing it to 'forget' certain sounds and struggle to understand them.

How Hearing Aids May Support Your Brain

Hearing aids help stimulate your brain by allowing it to process sounds more effectively. This stimulation goes beyond basic auditory function—keeping your brain active helps maintain cognition, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Hearing loss also requires extra mental effort to follow conversations, which may lead to social withdrawal and feelings of isolation. By using hearing aids, you can reconnect to your environment, participate more comfortably in social activities, and reduce cognitive strain.

Treat Your Hearing Loss

It is important to have your hearing tested and start using hearing aids if needed. Once you begin wearing hearing aids, your auditory processing resumes, sending essential signals to the brain. This not only improves hearing but also keeps the brain fit and active. The longer you delay treatment, the harder it becomes to restore hearing and reactivate the brain’s sound-processing regions.