{"id":1764,"date":"2021-08-13T18:23:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-13T23:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ormsonhearing.com\/?p=1764"},"modified":"2022-01-04T14:13:47","modified_gmt":"2022-01-04T20:13:47","slug":"three-ways-untreated-hearing-loss-affects-your-body-and-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amarillohearing.com\/three-ways-untreated-hearing-loss-affects-your-body-and-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Ways Untreated Hearing Loss Affects Your Body and Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hearing loss is the third most common physical condition in the United States behind only arthritis and heart disease. While more than 48 million Americans live with some degree of hearing loss<\/a>, only about 20% of them seek help. Treating your hearing loss can do much more than simply improve your ability to hear, it can be beneficial to your mind and body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Untreated Hearing Loss Can Impact Your Cognitive Abilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The process of hearing relies on your brain just as much as it does your ears. Your brain is used to receiving a certain amount of auditory information in order to make decisions. In those with untreated hearing loss, their brain only receives a fraction of the input it is used to. In order to make up the difference, the brain will reassign other areas to focus on hearing. When multiple areas needed just to listen, they cannot be used to help you understand the meaning of what you are hearing. This leads to a decline in comprehension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Untreated hearing loss has also been linked with memory loss and dementia. A 2019 study<\/a> enrolled 137,723 participants over the age of 65. About 9% of those participants had hearing loss and almost 40% of them reported memory loss. A 2011 study<\/a> looked at the rate of dementia in relation to degree of hearing loss. The researchers found that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n