Keep Your Brain Fit To Minimise The Effects Of Hearing Loss

There have been some recent studies which have come to the conclusion that keeping your brain fit and agile is important in minimising the effects of hearing loss. Keeping your brain active can of course help your general state of health too, and is useful in warding off such illnesses as dementia, and there does seem to be a likely link between dementia and hearing loss, as hearing loss can speed up the loss of brain tissue.

What is particularly interesting to us here at Lisburn Hearing Centre is that studies seem to show that wearing digital hearing aids can play an important part in maintaining strong brain functions.

The article about this subject on the Age UK website gives some good tips on `Brain Power Workouts` which you can read here:

`Try switching hands to do everyday tasks. Using a different hand to brush your teeth, eating your dinner, or other daily tasks can spur your brain into action. You can also try closing your eyes whilst doing certain tasks. Folding laundry is a great activity to try with your eyes closed. These simple actions force your brain to visualise and create new thought processes - and thereby make new neural pathways.

Another way to stretch your brain power is to read books out loud. Take turns reading and listening to a book with your partner, your grandchildren or a friend. You can also use audio books every once and a while. When words are read, spoken, or heard, they stimulate different portions of the brain.

Finally, if you are going to the same places each day, trying taking new routes. If you go to work the same way, or attend regular events at a community centre, your brain goes into autopilot during the journey. Taking different routes activates the cortex and hippocampus in the brain.

New activities to try to keep your brain fit

Being artistic or having hands-on hobbies can positively affect your brain function. Knitting, woodworking, painting can all be helpful. In a number of studies, those with depression reported feeling much better when they knitted.

Activities such drawing, playing a musical instrument, arts & crafts, meditation, and DIY projects all help brain function and promote better mental well-being. Whatever you do, make sure it is something you love or like doing. A positive mental connection to an activity is just one more important factor involved in improved brain function.`

For the full article at Age UK you can go to the website at the following link: Brain Fitness And Hearing Loss

Finally if you think you are beginning to suffer from hearing loss book an appointment for a free hearing test with us by calling us on 028 9264 0302.