Dementia and hearing loss, what’s the link? Medical science has connected the dots between brain health and hearing loss. It was found that even minor untreated hearing loss increases your risk of developing dementia.
Scientists think that there might be a pathological connection between these two seemingly unrelated health problems. So, how does hearing loss put you in danger of dementia and how can a hearing test help combat it?
What is dementia?
The Mayo Clinic says that dementia is a group of symptoms that alter memory, alter the ability to think clearly, and reduce socialization skills. Alzheimer’s is a prevalent form of cognitive decline the majority of individuals think of when they hear the word dementia. Alzheimer’s means progressive dementia that affects about five million people in the U.S. Precisely how hearing health impacts the risk of dementia is finally well understood by scientists.
How hearing works
The ear mechanisms are very complex and each one is important when it comes to good hearing. As waves of sound vibration move towards the inner ear, they get amplified. Electrical impulses are sent to the brain for decoding by tiny little hairs in the inner ear that shake in response to sound waves.
Over the years these tiny hairs can become irreversibly damaged from exposure to loud sound. Comprehension of sound becomes much more difficult because of the reduction of electrical impulses to the brain.
Research indicates that this slow loss of hearing isn’t simply an irrelevant part of aging. The brain attempts to decode any signals sent by the ear even if they are jumbled or unclear. The ears can become strained and the brain exhausted from the added effort to hear and this can eventually lead to a higher risk of developing cognitive decline.
Loss of hearing is a risk factor for many diseases that result in:
- Memory impairment
- Weak overall health
- Reduction in alertness
- Trouble learning new skills
- Irritability
- Exhaustion
- Depression
The odds of developing dementia can increase depending on the degree of your hearing loss, too. Someone with just minor impairment has double the risk. More significant hearing loss means three times the risk and somebody with severe, untreated loss of hearing has up to five times the risk of developing cognitive decline. A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University watched the cognitive skills of more than 2,000 older adults over a six-year period. They found that hearing loss significant enough to interfere with conversation was 24 percent more likely to cause memory and cognitive problems.
Why is a hearing exam worthwhile?
Not everybody appreciates how even a little hearing loss affects their overall health. Most individuals don’t even recognize they have hearing loss because it develops so slowly. The human brain is good at adjusting as hearing declines, so it’s less obvious.
Scheduling regular comprehensive assessments gives you and your hearing specialist the ability to effectively assess hearing health and monitor any decline as it occurs.
Using hearing aids to reduce the danger
Scientists presently think that the link between cognitive decline and hearing loss is largely based on the brain strain that hearing loss causes. So hearing aids should be able to reduce the risk, based on that fact. A hearing assistance device boosts sound while filtering out background noise that impedes your hearing and alleviates the stress on your brain. The sounds that you’re hearing will get through without as much effort.
There’s no rule that says individuals who have normal hearing won’t develop dementia. But scientists believe hearing loss accelerates that decline. Getting regular hearing tests to identify and treat hearing loss before it gets too serious is key to reducing that risk.
If you’re worried that you might be suffering from hearing loss, contact us today to schedule your hearing examination.
