Chris has been a bit forgetful lately. For the second month in a row, she forgot her doctor’s appointment and needs to reschedule. And she even overlooked running the dishwasher before bed (I guess this morning she will have to handwash her coffee cup). Things have been getting lost lately. Chris has been feeling mentally fatigued and depleted all the time but, strangely, she doesn’t feel forgetful.
Only after that feeling is sneaking up on you, will you begin to realize it. But despite how forgetful you might feel, the problem isn’t really about memory. The real concern is your hearing. And that means there’s one tiny device, a hearing aid, that can assist you to considerably improve your memory.
How to Enhance Your General Cognitive Function And Memory
So, the first step you can take to improve your memory, and getting everybody’s name right at your next meeting or to make sure you arrange that day off for your eye exam, is to get your hearing checked. If you have hearing loss a hearing test will alert you to how severe your impairment is.
Chris hesitates, though, because she hasn’t noted any symptoms or signs of hearing loss. She doesn’t really have difficulty hearing in a crowded room. And she’s never had a hard time listening to any of her team members at work.
But she could have some level of hearing loss despite the fact that she hasn’t observed any symptoms yet. Actually, one of the first signs of hearing impairment is memory loss. And strain on the brain is the root cause. It works like this:
- Your hearing begins to diminish, maybe so gradually you don’t realize.
- However mild, your ears start to detect a lack of sound input.
- The sounds that you can hear, need to be amplified and interpreted which causes your brain to work extra hard.
- You can’t detect any real difference but in order to comprehend sound your brain has to work overtime.
That amount of continual strain can be really difficult on your brain’s limited resources. So things such as memory and cognitive function get pushed to the back.
Hearing Loss And Dementia
If you take loss of memory to its most logical extremes, you might end up dealing with something like dementia. And there is a connection between dementia and hearing loss, though there are several other factors involved and the cause and effect relationship remains fairly uncertain. Still, those with neglected hearing loss, over time, have a higher risk for having cognitive decline, beginning with some mild memory issues and increasing to more serious cognitive issues.
Wearing Hearing Aids Can Help You Avoid Fatigue
This is why it’s essential to manage your hearing loss. Significant improvement in cognitive function was observed in 97.3% of individuals with hearing loss who wore hearing aids for at least 18 months according to one study.
Numerous other studies have demonstrated similar results. Hearing aids really help. Your general cognitive function gets better when your brain doesn’t have to struggle as hard to hear. Sure, a hearing aid isn’t an absolute cure, cognitive decline or memory problems can be a complex mix of causes and elements.
Memory Loss Can be The First Signal of Hearing Loss
This kind of memory loss is commonly not permanent, it’s an indication of mental fatigue more than a fundamental change in how your brain functions. But that can change if the underlying issues remain un-addressed.
So if you’re recognizing some loss of memory, it can be an early warning of hearing loss. You should set up an appointment with your hearing professional as soon as you recognize these symptoms. Your memory will likely go back to normal when your fundamental hearing concerns are dealt with.
And your hearing will probably get better also. A hearing aid can help stop the decline in your hearing. These little devices, in this way, will improve your general health not only your hearing.