Hearing loss doesn’t just mean a person needs to turn up the TV. Hearing loss has been linked to a range of health problems, including dementia. The latest aging research not only shows the two are connected, it’s also leading scientists to believe that hearing loss may actually be a cause of dementia (John Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Public Health). Hearing loss is now considered to be a top risk factor for dementia.
Hearing loss can make the brain work harder, forcing it to strain to hear and fill in the gaps. That comes at the expense of other thinking and memory systems. Another possibility is that untreated hearing loss causes the aging brain to shrink more quickly due to lack of stimulation. Hearing is a memory based system after all.
Treating hearing loss with hearing aids can improve so much in a person’s life. Much more than just being able to hear and understand better. Better hearing results in a decreased chance of dementia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, falls and depression.