Neuroplasticity refers to your brain’s ability to adapt by forming new neural connections in response to change. This adaptability can be seen in people with untreated hearing loss, as well as those who use hearing aids to treat it.
How Hearing Loss Affects Your Brain 
Hearing loss can change the structure and function of your brain due to a lack of stimulation. There are several ways this can happen:
- When you struggle to hear, you lose the ability to pick up on certain sounds. Because of this, the parts of your brain that would normally process these sounds don’t receive proper stimulation.
- Hearing loss may cause you to isolate from others. This lack of engagement with the outside world further reduces brain stimulation.
This lack of stimulation may cause structural and functional brain changes. The parts that process sound may shrink or be recruited by other areas of the brain responsible for vision and touch.
These changes may cause your hearing loss to worsen and could even impair cognitive function.
Hearing Aids May Reverse Brain Changes
There is evidence to suggest that using hearing aids can reverse some of the cognitive changes caused by hearing loss.
A 2020 study compared the cognitive function of 28 adults with mild to moderate age-related hearing loss against 13 adults with normal hearing.
Participants were evaluated once while their hearing loss was untreated, then given hearing aids to wear for six months and were evaluated again.
Initial testing showed that participants with hearing loss showed evidence of recruitment during a visual processing task. Additionally, their speech perception and cognitive function was noticeably worse than participants with normal hearing.
After six months of using hearing aids researchers found:
- A reversal of recruitment
- Better speech perception
- Improved cognitive performance
Treat Hearing Loss to Improve Cognitive Function
Seeking treatment at the first sign of hearing loss is essential in protecting your hearing and reducing your risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
If others have commented on your hearing or you find yourself struggling to follow conversations when out to dinner at Peninsula Grill, schedule an appointment for a hearing test.
Hearing tests are quick, painless, and offer immediate insight into the severity of your hearing loss. Your audiologist will work with you to find hearing aids that best match your individual needs and benefit both your body and mind.
If you have additional questions or wish to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, contact Charleston ENT & Allergy today.