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Harford County Aegis “Ask A Doctor” – If I have a hearing loss and I don’t get hearing aids, will my hearing get worse?

Q: If I have a hearing loss and I don’t get hearing aids, will my hearing get worse?

A: I get asked this question all the time. Studies show that not treating a hearing loss usually has no effect on the physical sensitivity of your ears over time, but it can and often does limit your speech understanding and communication ability – even if you eventually get hearing aids. We ultimately hear with our brains, and the auditory portion of the brain can degrade when not stimulated. There’s even recent evidence that suggests that the lack of auditory stimulation may affect other portions of your brain as well. New research has linked dementia to hearing loss, and there are on-going studies to determine if “untreated” hearing loss further increases your risk for dementia. So there are many reasons to get hearing aids, if you have a hearing loss. The most popular one being – “It’s good to hear!” If you suspect you may not be hearing like you use to, we recommend scheduling a hearing evaluation with an audiologist right away.

Answered by Dr. Matt Perry, Au.D. – audiologist and owner of Harmony Hearing & Audiology, located in Festival at Bel Air, 5 Bel Air S Pkwy, Ste. 1411, Bel Air, MD 21015 – (410)569-5999