Lately, Chris has been a little forgetful. She forgot her doctor’s appointment for the second month in a row (now she has to reschedule again). And before she went to bed she even overlooked running the dishwasher (looks like this morning she will have to handwash her coffee cup). Things have been falling through the cracks. Curiously, Chris doesn’t necessarily feel forgetful…she simply feels mentally depleted and fatigued all the time.
Only when that feeling is sneaking up on you, will you start to recognize it. But despite how forgetful you may feel, the problem isn’t really about memory. The real problem is your hearing. And that means there’s one little device, a hearing aid, that can assist you to significantly improve your memory.
How to Enhance Your Memory And General Cognitive Function
So, step one to improving your memory, to get everyone’s name right at your next meeting or to make sure you schedule that day off for your eye exam, is to get your hearing checked. If you have hearing loss a hearing examination will let you know how severe your impairment is.
Chris hasn’t noticed any symptoms of hearing loss yet so she hesitates to schedule an appointment. She doesn’t really have an issue hearing in a crowded room. And she’s never had a difficult time hearing any of her team members at work.
But she may have some level of hearing loss even though she hasn’t noticed any symptoms yet. In fact, one of the first signs of hearing impairment is memory loss. And it all involves brain strain. It works like this:
- Your hearing starts to diminish, maybe so gradually you don’t notice.
- Your ears notice a lack of sound, however slight.
- Your brain starts working a little bit harder to decipher and boost the sounds you can hear.
- Everything feels normal, but it takes more effort from your brain to comprehend the sounds.
That amount of constant strain can be a real drag on your brain’s finite resources. So you don’t have as much mental energy for things such as, well, memory or for other cognitive functions.
Hearing Loss And Dementia
When loss of memory is extreme, the result could be dementia. And dementia and hearing loss do have a connection, though what the precise cause-effect relationship is, remains somewhat unknown. Still, there is a higher danger of cognitive decline in those who have untreated hearing loss, which can start as memory loss and ultimately (over the years) develop into more severe concerns.
Hearing Aids And Fending Off Fatigue
This is why it’s necessary to deal with your hearing loss. Marked increase of cognitive function was noted in 97.3% of people with hearing loss who used hearing aids for at least 18 months according to one study.
Various other studies have demonstrated similar results. Hearing aids really help. When your brain doesn’t have to strain quite as hard, your overall cognitive function gets better. Memory loss and issues with cognitive function can have many intricate factors and hearing aids aren’t always a magic bullet.
The First Symptom of Hearing Loss is Frequently Memory Loss
This kind of memory loss is typically temporary, it’s an indication of mental fatigue more than an underlying change in the way your brain functions. But that can change if the underlying issues remain un-addressed.
Loss of memory, then, can be something of an early warning system. You should make an appointment with your hearing specialist as soon as you recognize these symptoms. Your memory will most likely return to normal when your underlying hearing issues are addressed.
As an added benefit, your hearing health will likely get better, too. The decline in your hearing will be slowed substantially by using hearing aids. These little devices, in this way, will enhance your overall health not just your hearing.