Hearing loss is normally accepted as just another part of the aging process: as we get older, we begin to hear things a little less intelligibly. Maybe we need to keep asking the grandkids to repeat themselves when they talk, or we have to start turning the volume up on the TV, or perhaps…we begin to…where was I going with this…oh yes. Perhaps we begin to lose our memory.
The general population has a much lower rate of dementia and Alzheimer’s than the elderly population. That’s why memory loss is considered a normal part of aging. But is it possible that the two are somehow connected? And, even better, what if there were a way to manage hearing loss and also preserve your memories and mental health?
Cognitive Decline And Hearing Loss
With almost 30 million individuals in the United States suffering from hearing loss, the majority of them do not associate hearing loss with cognitive decline and dementia. However, if you look in the right direction, the connection is quite clear: research has shown that there is a substantial risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-like conditions if you also have hearing loss – even if you have fairly mild loss of hearing.
Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are also quite prevalent in people who have hearing loss. The key here is that hearing loss, mental health problems, and cognitive decline all have an impact on our ability to socialize.
Why is Cognitive Decline Related to Hearing Loss?
While there are no solid findings or definitive evidence that hearing loss results in cognitive decline and mental health problems, there is clearly some link and several clues that experts are looking into. They have pinpointed two main scenarios which seem to lead to problems: failure to socialize and your brain working extra time.
Many studies show that loneliness goes hand in hand with anxiety and depression. And when people are dealing with hearing loss, they’re not as likely to socialize with other people. Many people find that it’s too difficult to have conversations or can’t hear well enough to enjoy things like the movie theater. People who find themselves in this scenario often start to isolate themselves which can cause mental health concerns.
Also, researchers have discovered that the brain frequently has to work extra hard because the ears aren’t functioning normally. The region of the brain which is in control of understanding sounds, like voices in a conversation, demands more help from other parts of the brain – namely, the area of the brain that used for memory. This overburdened the brain and causes cognitive decline to set in much faster than if the brain was processing sounds normally.
How to Stop Cognitive Decline With Hearing Aids
Hearing aids restore our hearing permitting the brain to use it’s resources in a normal way which is our best defense for dealing with cognitive decline and dementia. Research has shown that people increased their cognitive functions and were at a reduced risk for developing dementia when they handled their hearing loss with hearing aids.
Actually, if more people wore their hearing aids, we might see less cases of mental health concerns and cognitive decline. Between 15% and 30% of individuals who need hearing aids even use them, which accounts for between 4.5 million and 9 million people. The World Health Organization reports that there are close to 50 million individuals who suffer from some form of dementia. The quality of life will be drastically enhanced for people and families if hearing aids can decrease that number by even a couple million people.
