From the Guidelines
Getting hearing aids sooner rather than later provides significant benefits for individuals with hearing loss, as it helps preserve speech understanding abilities and neural pathways in the brain that process sound. Early adoption of hearing aids is crucial, as research shows that people who address their hearing loss promptly experience better outcomes in communication, cognitive function, and social engagement compared to those who delay treatment 1. The brain's auditory system adapts better when hearing loss is addressed early, making it easier to adjust to hearing aids and achieve optimal benefit.
Some key benefits of early hearing aid adoption include:
- Improved communication and social engagement
- Better cognitive function and reduced risk of dementia
- Enhanced quality of life and overall well-being
- Smoother adjustment period, as individuals haven't developed maladaptive listening habits
A good-quality trial 1 demonstrated that individuals who received hearing aids sooner showed significant improvements in quality-of-life measures, including social and emotional functioning, compared to those who delayed treatment. Another study 1 emphasized the importance of early hearing detection and intervention, recommending that hearing-aid selection and fitting should occur within 1 month of initial confirmation of hearing loss.
Overall, the evidence suggests that early adoption of hearing aids is essential for maximizing benefits and minimizing the negative effects of untreated hearing loss. Individuals should seek professional evaluation as soon as they notice hearing difficulties or when family members point out potential hearing problems.
From the Research
Benefits of Early Hearing Aid Use
- There is evidence to suggest that using hearing aids can have a positive impact on cognitive performance, as found in a study published in 2015 2.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2018 found that alternative listening devices, including hearing aids, can improve speech intelligibility in adults with mild and moderate hearing loss 3.
- An umbrella review published in 2025 found that hearing aid use is consistently associated with improved speech perception, communication function, hearing handicap, and self-assessed hearing aid benefit in adults 4.
Association with Depressive Symptoms
- A study published in 2021 found that hearing loss is associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms in older adults, but hearing aid use was not found to be associated with depressive symptoms 5.
- However, another study published in 2015 found that hearing aid use was associated with better cognition, independently of social isolation and depression 2.
Functional Hearing Benefits
- A study published in 2016 found that assistive listening devices, including remote microphones, can improve speech recognition and functional hearing in students with hearing impairment in mainstream school settings 6.
- The same study found that both students and teachers reported functional hearing advantages when using remote microphones in conjunction with hearing aids 6.
Overall Benefits
- The current evidence suggests that getting hearing aids sooner rather than later may have benefits for individuals with hearing loss, including improved cognitive performance, speech perception, and communication function 2, 3, 4.
- However, more research is needed to fully understand the benefits of early hearing aid use and to determine the direction of association between hearing aid use and cognitive decline 2, 4.