Playing music could be good for your hearing

Research suggests that playing music, within a reasonable range could be good for your hearing. The key is that the music is playing at reasonable levels. This could help your brain in the long run. The more you practice distinguishing between competing noises the easier it is for your brain to separate someone talking to you over the background noise as you get older. It seems that listening to varying sounds in music that can compete for your attention may make areas of the brain stronger.

Less background noise is a problem

Surprisingly, less background noise throughout a person’s life can lead to problems. The reason behind this is the under-stimulation of the central auditory system. Here are a few hearing healthcare facts related to reduced long-term exposure to competing noise.

Speech recognition goes down

The ability of the auditory neural system to process complex signals may decline through lack of stimulation. Those complex systems help to recognize speech. The ability for speech recognition to decline is possible. For example, individuals with bilateral hearing loss who use only one hearing aid tend to find a decline in speech recognition ability in the unaided ear.

Timing is everything

Another issue related to less hearing stimulation is the length of time it takes for people experiencing hearing loss to treat the condition with hearing aids. The longer a person with hearing loss delays getting hearing aids, the more difficult it is to adjust to the new, loud noises they can now hear. The adjustment to amplification is harder due to the ongoing lack of stimulation. This is why it is crucial to address your hearing loss. The longer you live with lower levels of hearing, the harder it is to adjust to better hearing with the use of hearing aids. It is possible that without the stimulation within the auditory system, hearing levels that could once be somewhat maintained with hearing aids are permanently lost.

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Source: Audiology HealthCare News, Summer 2019