{"id":1292,"date":"2022-12-12T15:36:29","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T22:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westernmontanahearingandspeech.com\/?p=1292"},"modified":"2022-12-12T15:36:34","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T22:36:34","slug":"how-hearing-loss-impacts-other-senses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westernmontanahearingandspeech.com\/how-hearing-loss-impacts-other-senses\/","title":{"rendered":"How Hearing Loss Impacts Other Senses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s a common misconception that if you lose one of your five senses, the others will become stronger to compensate. This is a partial truth; in reality, this phenomenon is more complex than it may seem. In this post, we review what the research says about how hearing loss<\/a> impacts other senses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hearing Loss Changes Your Brain<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Researchers at the University of Colorado\u2019s Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Science sought to uncover how hearing loss changes the brain and what the implications of these changes are in a 2015 study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the study, researchers placed sensors on the participants\u2019 scalps to monitor their brain\u2019s response to sound stimuli. The researchers then compared how the function of people\u2019s brains varied based on whether or not the hearing loss was present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They found that, among those with hearing loss, the areas responsible for other senses, like vision and touch, overtook the centers of the brain dedicated to hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the researchers<\/a>, \u201cThe areas of the brain responsible for processing vision or touch can recruit areas in which hearing is normally processed, but which receive little or no stimulation in deafness. This is called \u2018cross-modal\u2019 cortical reorganization and reflects a fundamental property of the brain to compensate in response to its environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implications of these Results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It may sound as if cross-modal cortical reorganization is beneficial, but there are some negative implications \u2013 the brain\u2019s compensatory solution can result in areas of the brain dedicated to higher-level thinking taking over weaker areas. This means they can no longer perform their primary function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There Is Hope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Seeking treatment and exploring hearing aids<\/a> early can prevent cross-modal cortical reorganization. In fact, according to another study<\/a>, \u201cBeyond the known benefits of hearing aid use on communication, outcomes from this study provide evidence that clinical intervention with well-fit amplification may promote more typical cortical organization and functioning and provide cognitive benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the brain begins to reorganize itself during the early stages of hearing loss, it\u2019s important to seek treatment as soon as you start to exhibit symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs of hearing loss include turning up the TV louder than others prefer, asking people to repeat themselves frequently and having trouble hearing in places with lots of background noise like at Second Set Bistro. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, call Western Montana Hearing and Speech<\/span> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n