As of late, Chris has been somewhat forgetful. She missed her doctor’s appointment for the second month in a row (time to reschedule again). And she even overlooked running the dishwasher before bedtime (looks like this morning she will need to handwash her coffee cup). Lately she’s been allowing things slip through the cracks. Chris has been feeling mentally exhausted and drained all the time but, curiously, she doesn’t feel forgetful.
It can be difficult to put your finger on that feeling until it’s sneaking up on you. But despite how forgetful you may feel, the issue isn’t really about memory. Your hearing is the actual problem. And that means there’s one small device, a hearing aid, that can help you significantly improve your memory.
How to Enhance Your All-around Cognitive Function And Memory
So, getting a hearing exam is the first step to enhance your memory so you will not forget that eye exam and not forget anyone’s name at the next meeting. A hearing evaluating will be able to figure out if you have hearing loss and how severe any impairment may be.
Chris hasn’t detected any symptoms of hearing loss yet so she hesitates to make an appointment. She can hear in noisy rooms fairly well enough. And she’s never had a hard time listening to any of her team members at work.
But just because her symptoms aren’t obvious doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. Actually, one of the first signs of hearing impairment is memory loss. And strain on the brain is the base cause. It works like this:
- Gradually and virtually imperceptibly, your hearing starts to fade.
- However slight, your ears start to detect a lack of sound input.
- Your brain begins working a little bit harder to translate and amplify the sounds you can hear.
- You can’t notice any real difference but in order to comprehend sound your brain has to work extra hard.
That amount of constant strain can be a real drag on your brain’s limited resources. So you have less mental energy for things such as, well, memory or for other cognitive processes.
Hearing Loss And Dementia
When memory loss is extreme, the result could be dementia. And there is a link between hearing loss and dementia, though there are a number of other factors involved and the cause and effect relationship continues to be rather murky. Still, there is an increased risk of cognitive decline in individuals who have neglected hearing loss, which can start as memory loss and ultimately (over the years) turn into more extreme issues.
Keeping Fatigue Under Control Using Hearing Aids
That’s the reason why managing your hearing loss is indispensable. Marked improvement of cognitive function was noted in 97.3% of individuals with hearing loss who used hearing aids for at least 18 months according to one study.
A variety of other studies have revealed similar benefits. Hearing aids are really helpful. Your general cognitive function improves when your brain doesn’t have to work as hard to hear. Sure, a hearing aid isn’t an absolute cure, memory problems and cognitive decline can be a complicated combination of causes and variables.
Memory Loss Can be The First Signal of Hearing Loss
This type of memory loss is mostly due to mental exhaustion and is normally not permanent. But if the underlying issues are not dealt with, that could change.
So if you’re recognizing some memory loss, it can be an early warning of hearing loss. When you first begin to observe those symptoms, you should schedule an appointment with your hearing specialist. As soon as your underlying hearing issues are dealt with, your memory should return to normal.
And your hearing will most likely get better also. A hearing aid can help stop the decline in your hearing. These little devices, in a sense, will enhance your overall health not just your hearing.