Cognitive decline and hearing loss, what’s the connection? Brain health and hearing loss have a link which medical science is starting to understand. It was found that even minor neglected hearing impairment increases your risk of developing dementia.
These two seemingly unconnected health conditions may have a pathological link. So how can a hearing exam help reduce the danger of hearing loss related dementia?
What is dementia?
The Mayo Clinic says that dementia is a cluster of symptoms that change memory, alter the ability to think concisely, and decrease socialization skills. Alzheimer’s is a prevalent form of cognitive decline most people think of when they hear the word dementia. Around five million people in the US are impacted by this progressive kind of dementia. Exactly how hearing health effects the risk of dementia is finally well understood by scientists.
How hearing works
In terms of good hearing, every part of the intricate ear component matters. Waves of sound go inside the ear canal and are boosted as they travel toward the inner ear. Inside the maze of the inner ear, tiny hair cells shake in response to the sound waves to send electrical signals that the brain translates.
Over time, many people develop a gradual decline in their ability to hear because of years of damage to these fragile hair cells. The outcome is a decrease in the electrical impulses to the brain that makes it difficult to understand sound.
Research suggests that this slow loss of hearing isn’t simply an inconsequential part of aging. Whether the impulses are unclear and jumbled, the brain will try to decipher them anyway. That effort puts stress on the organ, making the person struggling to hear more susceptible to developing cognitive decline.
Loss of hearing is a risk factor for many diseases that lead to:
- Inability to master new tasks
- Depression
- Reduction in alertness
- Weak overall health
- Exhaustion
- Irritability
- Memory impairment
And the more severe your hearing loss the greater your risk of cognitive decline. Even slight hearing loss can double the danger of dementia. Hearing loss that is more severe will bring the risk up by three times and very severe untreated hearing loss can put you at up to a five times higher danger. Research by Johns Hopkins University tracked the cognitive skills of more than 2,000 older adults over a six-year period. Memory and cognitive issues are 24 percent more likely in people who have hearing loss extreme enough to disrupt conversation, according to this research.
Why a hearing assessment matters
Hearing loss impacts the general health and that would probably surprise many individuals. For most, the decline is gradual so they don’t always know there is a problem. The human brain is good at adapting as hearing declines, so it’s less obvious.
We will be able to properly evaluate your hearing health and monitor any changes as they happen with regular hearing exams.
Using hearing aids to decrease the danger
Scientists presently believe that the connection between dementia and hearing loss is largely based on the brain strain that hearing loss causes. Based on that one fact, you could conclude that hearing aids reduce that risk. The stress on your brain will be reduced by using a hearing aid to filter out unwanted background noise while enhancing sounds you want to hear. With a hearing aid, the brain won’t work so hard to comprehend the sounds it’s receiving.
People who have normal hearing can still possibly get dementia. What science thinks is that hearing loss accelerates the decline in the brain, increasing the chances of cognitive problems. Having regular hearing tests to identify and treat hearing loss before it gets too serious is key to reducing that risk.
If you’re concerned that you may be suffering from hearing loss, call us today to schedule your hearing examination.