As of late, Chris has been a little bit forgetful. She missed her doctor’s appointment two months in a row (time to reschedule again). And before she went to bed she even overlooked running the dishwasher (I guess this morning she will have to handwash her coffee cup). Lately she’s been allowing things fall through the cracks. Curiously, Chris doesn’t necessarily feel forgetful…she just feels mentally drained and fatigued constantly.
It can be difficult to recognize that feeling until it’s sneaking up on you. Often, though, the issue isn’t your memory, despite how forgetful you might appear. The real issue is your hearing. And that means you can substantially improve your memory by wearing one small device.
How to Improve Your All-around Cognitive Function And Memory
So, having a hearing test is the first step to enhance your memory so you will not forget that dentist appointment and not forget anyone’s name at the next meeting. If you have hearing loss a hearing exam will alert you to how severe your impairment is.
Chris hasn’t recognized any signs of hearing loss yet so she hesitates to make an appointment. She can hear in crowded rooms fairly well enough. And when she’s at work, she doesn’t have a problem hearing team members.
But she might have some amount of hearing loss despite the fact that she hasn’t recognized any symptoms yet. In fact, one of the first symptoms of hearing impairment is loss of memory. And it all has to do with brain strain. Here’s how it works:
- Your hearing begins to diminish, maybe so gradually you don’t notice.
- However slight, your ears begin to detect a lack of sound input.
- The sounds that you do hear, need to be boosted and interpreted which makes your brain work extra hard.
- Everything seems normal, but it takes more effort from your brain to comprehend the sounds.
Your brain only has a limited amount of processing power which can really be dragged down by that sort of strain. So things such as cognitive function and memory take a back seat.
Dementia And Hearing Loss
If you take memory loss to its most obvious extremes, you could end up looking at something like dementia. And dementia and hearing loss do have a link, though there are several other factors at work and the cause and effect relationship is still somewhat uncertain. Still, there is an elevated danger of cognitive decline with people who have neglected hearing loss, which can begin as memory loss and eventually (over the years) become more severe issues.
Wearing Hearing Aids Will Help You Prevent Fatigue
That’s why dealing with your hearing loss is necessary. According to one study, 97.3% of those with hearing loss who used hearing aids for at least 18 months showed a significant stabilization or increase in their cognitive functions.
Numerous other studies have shown similar benefits. Hearing aids really help. When your brain doesn’t have to strain quite as hard, your overall cognitive function improves. Memory loss and problems with cognitive function can have many intricate factors and hearing aids aren’t always a magic bullet.
The First Sign of Hearing Loss is Often Memory Loss
This type of memory loss is mostly because of mental fatigue and is usually temporary. But if the root concerns are not addressed, that could change.
So if you’re noticing some loss of memory, it can be an early sign of hearing loss. You should schedule an appointment with your hearing specialist as soon as you notice these symptoms. As soon as your fundamental hearing problems are dealt with, your memory should return to normal.
As an added benefit, your hearing health will likely get better, too. The decline in your hearing will be slowed dramatically by using hearing aids. In this way, your total wellness, not only your memory, could be enhanced by these little devices.