Research has provided insight into how our ear and eye health is intricately linked with our brain health. There is ample evidence that taking care of hearing and vision, helps us to keep our brain healthy.

Lack of good hearing can affect how your brain works in long term and more importantly, having hearing devices keeps you brain healthier for longer and becomes an integral part of living well.

As the ear sends the sounds to our brain, there is an intricate process of ‘listening’, which is mediated by different parts of the brain e.g. hearing part, attention part, language part, and memory part etc. to draw a meaning out of the sounds.

Furthermore, the sounds have emotional meaning as well. So, a word like ‘love’ evokes so many different meanings in different people. So, the brain is being widely stimulated with even simple sounds. When one does not hear those sounds properly, it seems to affect brain’s stimulation and therefore, the long term health of different parts of the brain, which are not used appropriately.

Moreover, when hearing becomes unclear, one does not feel confident in taking part in social activities. You don’t want to laugh at the wrong joke or not laugh at a good one. You don’t want to say ‘yes’ when you should say no, without hearing it properly. You don’t want to keep pretending that you are a part of the conversation without actually feeling so. This again, affects the brain in long term.

Researchers in Manchester university collaborated to look at long term effects of hearing and vision loss. They found that people who had their vision fixed via cataract removal and the hearing fixed via hearing devices; had much better mental faculties in long term than who did not have either or both fixed.

There’s no reason for anyone to live without good hearing anymore. The youngest child I have seen for hearing devices was 1-week-old baby and the oldest person was a 105-year-old man. More and more younger people in their 30’s and 40’s are visiting audiology clinics these days to get their hearing fixed, when there’s a problem.

The hearing technology has improved tremendously in last 3-4 years. Modern hearing instruments have embraced the latest advances in electronics like never before. They provide incredibly clearer sounds and much better speech understanding in noisy environment than any time before. They look better than they used to and do not whistle.

No. 1 problem of most people I see in the clinic is that they can hear but the speech clarity is reduced, particularly in noisy environment. Modern hearing devices are incredibly efficient at reducing the background noise to provide you much clearer speech understanding

Most hearing devices have rechargeable batteries that last up to 20 hours, super-fast computer chips to process the sounds at unprecedented speed, and improved microphones and speakers to give perfect sound to the ears. And that’s all without any effort from the wearer. It is all set from the computer by a qualified audiologist. Technology is your slave, not the master. It works for you intuitively.

For the users who want this facility, contemporary hearing devices seamlessly connect with Apple and Android phones and tablets to stream music and calls. Wearers can use special smartphone applications to control various features of the hearing instruments and stream music directly like a Bluetooth headset. They can remember the adjustments you make at a particular location e.g. your favourite restaurant or golf course, and automatically change the settings as soon as you are there. You can find the instruments via your smartphone GPS tracking system.

And much more….

So, don’t get put off by what you know, have seen, or experienced with the hearing technology of the past. Embrace the future. It is easy, convenient, and effective. Wish you all a great better hearing journey!

Today’s hearing devices offer top-of-the-line sound clarity, smartphone compatibility, artificial intelligence, recharge-ability and apps. What’s more, once perfectly optimised by the audiologist, the technology works on its own and all you have to do is- pop the hearing devices in your ears. Magic begins here!

Audiology Planet is an Independent provider of ear, hearing, and balance care. We provide full range of audiology service to babies, children, and adults including earwax removal, hearing care, auditory processing, dizziness, and tinnitus management. If you would like to choose us as the partner of your better hearing journey, please contact the office at P0330 2233 453, 07543664692 or email us at info@audiologyplanet.com or contact us for an appointment below:

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References:

Hearing and visual aids linked to slower age-related memory loss. Available at https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/hearing-and-visual-aids-linked-to-slower-age-related-memory-loss/ Accessed on 16.11.2021
2020 ‘Lancet’ Commission Report Finds Untreated Hearing Loss in Midlife as ‘Largest Modifiable Risk Factor. Available at https://hearingreview.com/inside-hearing/research/2020-lancet-commission-report-finds-untreated-hearing-loss-in-midlife-as-largest-modifiable-risk-factor Accessed on 16.11.2021
Hearing, Cognition, and Healthy Aging: Social and Public Health Implications of the Links between Age-Related Declines in Hearing and Cognition. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4906310/ Accessed on 16.11.2021
New hearing aid technology. Available at https://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-aids/technology. Accessed on 16.11.2021