Adriatica Audiology

The audiologists at Adriatica Audiology understand that hearing care is brain care. As certified dementia practitioners (CDPs) they know all too well how untreated hearing loss can contribute to cognitive decline. But there’s good news. “Correcting that hearing loss can delay or prevent the onset of cognitive decline — in some cases, even reverse it,” said Founding Audiologist Dr. Bary Williams. “When someone experiences hearing loss, their brain has to work harder to process the information it receives. When the brain is working so hard just to hear, there’s less mental space for other key processes and it’s harder to focus on anything else, leading to a decline in the brain’s ability to do those things in the long term.” Additionally, hearing loss can cause a person to socially isolate and that isolation has been shown to contribute to dementia.

Fortunately, corrected hearing loss has been shown to slow — or even halt — the rate of cognitive decline. “With the help of hearing aids, you can regain the ability to socialize and be more physically active (with less fear of falling),” said Dr. Dane Leavitt. “Subsequently, depression, anxiety, isolation, and feelings of loneliness are greatly reduced.”

Most people don’t realize how hard they’re working to understand until it becomes second nature again. Hearing well gives them back their confidence and helps restore healthy relationships with family and friends, both of which contribute to wellness and longevity.

Born with hearing loss himself, Dr. Bary understands the 24-hour-a-day reality and the life-changing difference hearing aids can make. His award-winning Adriatica Audiology system has offered patients the chance at a healthy, well-rounded quality of life for more than 30 years. Dr. Dane grew up around hearing loss himself, as his mom was a deaf educator and his father and grandfather both longtime hearing-aid wearers.

Both providers emphasize patient education. “As CDPs, we’re experts on aging,” Dr. Bary said. “We’re able to partner with our patients to develop a lifelong plan for their rehabilitation and walk alongside them to implement it, helping them become confident again, offering the unique insights to help them make change happen.”

“We help our patients understand the inter-relationship between excellent aural comprehension and proper ear/brain stimulation to maximize their mental effectiveness,” Dr. Dane said. “So much of a hearing-impaired person’s future mental sharpness and quality of life revolve around choices and approaches pro-actively taken years before. And the sooner you address hearing loss the better the chance of regaining it.”

“Good hearing care is intrinsically interwoven into good brain care in ways few grasp in its full perspective,” Dr. Bary said “If you’d like to be educated, motivated, and empowered to live your best life and be your best you, come by and inquire about our free 14-day test drive.”