Often life introduces one to new experiences, and people find a different way to their sociability, a new reason to explore. For people who have undergone a life-changing incident losing their sense of hearing, hearing aid devices greatly help. Enabling these special souls to communicate and reciprocate to thoughts around them. However, it was quite unknown until this time that these tiny devices could do much more than enrich one’s social life. Hearing aids can improve brain processing, keep one mentally sharp and eliminate signs of fatigue or depression. Also, studies reveal these can reduce the chances of cognitive decline among adults at risk of dementia. That’s a lot, right? Moving on, let’s have a look into the details.
Hearing Aids Reduce Cognitive Decline In Older Adults
A study published in The Lancet reveals how treating hearing impairment can help diminish the risks of dementia in the elderly. The researchers organized randomized controlled trials of adults aged between 70 and 84 with untreated hearing loss. They chose four community centers across the USA for the study site.
The study’s results offer compelling evidence that treating hearing loss can be a powerful tool to amplify cognitive functioning among the elderly. Also, this particular way can bring down the chances of dementia. However, the team also focused on the fact that the success rate of treating hearing loss also depends on an individual’s risk of cognitive decline.
There were two types of respondents at each community center. Elderly adults part of a longstanding observational study of cardiovascular health and new additions from the same community., but healthier than the former. Few of them were randomized to hearing aids or audiological counseling. While the others went for generalized counseling sessions. The research lasted 3 years, with the respondents showing up for follow-up twice a year.
With the aim of finding a change in the cognition score, the team came up with multiple tests. The list goes as delayed word recall, logical memory, digit span backward, and incidental learning.
Hearing Aids Help Elderly With Mental Acuity
A study by Texas A&M University does reveal how researchers had measured the concentration levels, memory, and information processing speed of a group with impaired hearing. The respondents were in their 50s and 60s, conditioned with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and had never used hearing aids before the test.
After two weeks of them using a hearing aid, there was a sharp improvement in their cognitive functions. The later tests revealed higher percent scores in recalling words and selective attention. Also, the participants could now process information quickly responding faster.
Elderly People Get To Maintain A Better Body Balance With Hearing Aids
Another study by the Washington University School Of Medicine did reveal how wearing hearing aids help with the maintenance of body posture. That means the elderly with a device on are less likely to fall and get hospitalized for treatment.
The researchers chose respondents who were already bilateral hearing-aid users aged over 65 years. To evaluate their balance level, these respondents were made to participate in the tandem stance test and the Romberg foam test. The performance was better in people using hearing aids than those not.
Hearing Aids Does Help With Improvement In Thinking Skills
According to a study by JAMA Neurology, hearing aids do help with a crucial role in protecting the thinking abilities of humankind. The researchers studied more than 137,000 people, keeping a tab on them from 2 to 25 years.
As per the results, people using a hearing aid had 19% lower chances of cognitive decline than those not. Also, there was an improvement of 3% in the cognitive test scores of the people using the tiny devices, with great impact. The researchers believed that hearing aid did help the affected come out of social isolation and mingle with everyone. This can be the prime cause for them to be able to fight off dementia and show improvement in thinking skills.
So that is all about hearing aid making life simple for the elderly and the young. Proven that these devices are available within an affordable price range, one feeling a change in the hearing must always seek to use it.
