When someone is deprived of sensory information such as hearing. If a person experiences hearing loss, the brain is no longer receiving an adequate amount of auditory stimulation to keep it functioning normally. The longer the hearing loss remains untreated, the less the brain will recognize and understand speech. If the sensory deprivation continues long enough, recovery is unlikely.
Sensory deprivation is the “use it or lose it” principle in which you lose certain sensory abilities if they are not used for an extended time period. Sensory deprivation is the main reason why hearing loss should be addressed as soon as possible. Hearing aids can reduce the auditory system’s sensory deprivation by giving the brain access to sounds. The sooner the better.
