On average, it takes 7 years for someone to seek treatment for their hearing loss from the time they first noticed a hearing difficulty. Untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation, depression, anxiety, frustration, fatigue, cognitive decline and decreased quality of life. Many patients begin to withdraw from family and friends because they cannot enjoyably participate in conversation anymore. Hearing loss can also cause significant strain on relationships. Research has shown the sooner one seeks treatment for their hearing loss, the better outcome they will receive.

Hearing loss & cognitive decline

Research has shown a unsettling relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline. Many theories exist as to why older adults who have the gene for dementia start to decline at a much faster rate if they have untreated hearing loss. Hearing loss tends to pull resources from the brain to the auditory system, which can cause a deficit in areas like attention and memory. Specific neurons in the auditory system also tend to have a “use it or lose it” strategy, which means if the neurons are not being adequately used (hearing loss) the neurons will either start to die off, or get re-directed to other parts of the brain. Once these neurons are re-directed from the auditory system, it is very difficulty for that patient to understand speech and perform well with hearing aids. The good news is, research has shown that hearing aids, if fit properly, can help slow the progression of cognitive decline and dementia!

The sooner you seek treatment for hearing loss, the better your outcomes will be!