Hearing Loss and Dementia
Page contents
Does Hearing Loss Cause
Dementia - Deafness and Dementia
Hearing is your brain’s gateway into the auditory world around you. It is a vital sense and without it functioning well, your brain suffers.
Hearing can affect the brain in many ways, but one thing is clear – hearing loss is strongly correlated with an increased risk of dementia. As you, an educated reader, are aware, correlation does not always mean causation.
In the case of poor hearing, we know that there are a couple of likely possibilities:
- Poor hearing leads to less intake of auditory information around oneself and thus leads to a more rapid decline in brain function. It thus increases one’s risk of dementia by directly causing it to some degree.
- The other possibility is that both hearing loss and developing cognitive decline have a common primary cause. This could be vascular damage, inflammation, or other causes that have been hypothesized by scientists and researchers around the world.
Here at Deter Dementia, our goal is simple. We want to use the best available scientific research and evidence to keep your brain healthy and strong. We want to PREVENT cognitive decline, PRESERVE your excellent brain function, and help you PROSPER for the many years you have ahead.
The Underestimated Link Between Dementia and Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is not often directly related to dementia but serves as an indirect factor in causing dementia. Since hearing loss compromises a person’s ability to function normally, this can lead to a negative impact on other areas of life as well.
- Individuals who experience hearing impairment may also be more prone to social disengagement and increased isolation over time. Depression and social isolation are risk factors for developing dementia as well.
- Suffering from hearing loss can increase sensitivity to loud noises or frustration because of the hindered ability to understand things. This may lead to increased frustration and contribute to withdrawal from activities as well
- The parts of the brain responsible for understanding speech and sound may also have to work harder to distinguish various sounds when one has hearing loss. Our ability to think and remember things may be affected by changes in the brain brought on by this unnecessary extra cognitive effort.
The scientific literature has produced enough evidence for us to conclude that hearing loss is an important factor in developing dementia. It is strongly advised to get yourself checked sooner than later if you experience a decline in your natural hearing ability.
Battling Hearing Loss Linked to Dementia: Reducing Your Risk
If you are wondering if untreated hearing loss can lead to dementia, the answer is ‘Yes it can’. The loss of hearing and dementia are linked together in many ways. Studies have found clear correlations between Alzheimer’s disease and Hearing loss. Therefore, it is important to protect your hearing by going through a regular screening or a detailed diagnosis particularly if you experience symptoms like ringing in your ears, ear pain, sounds that are near but seem too far or if you are often frustrated due to loud noises.
Another method to prevent hearing loss due to dementia early on is by using hearing aids whenever they are indicated. The use of hearing aids in people with dementia has been linked with more preserved short-term memory and improved decision-making.
Types of Hearing Loss
We know that the risk of developing dementia increases with age. The risk of hearing loss also increases as we get older and will further increase the risk of developing dementia if left untreated. It is integral to determine the type of hearing loss you or a loved one are suffering to identify the proper treatment plan.
Peripheral Hearing Loss
- Peripheral hearing loss is the reduced ability to detect and identify sounds from external sources. This hearing loss occurs when the ears and related structures face a decline in their sensitivity level of noise detection. Peripheral hearing loss may be linked to developing dementia.
Central Hearing Loss
- The second type of hearing loss, known as central hearing loss, is a problem in sound processing. This problem occurs within the brain itself. This type of hearing loss can often be an early symptom of dementia as well.
Read: How Alzheimer’s Develops into Dementia?
Managing Dementia Due to Hearing Loss
Some strategies can be implemented that will help you preserve your hearing and prevent further cognitive decline moving forward.
Let’s get started together – click the sign up link below and let us send you some FREE information and resources that can help specifically for your hearing needs. If you decide to pursue one of our more custom-designed packages, we can tailor our recommendations to your exact needs.
Join us and let us Prevent, Preserve, and Prosper together!
Are you at Risk of Hearing Loss that can Increase your Risk of Dementia? Perform a Self-Diagnosis
- Do you repeatedly turn the radio or television volume up?
- Are you frequentlyasking people to repeat things?
- Are high-pitched sounds more difficult for you to hear?
- Are you often frustrated in noisy environments?
- Do you avoid gatherings because of lack of hearing?
- Do you have sudden ringing in your ears?
Here at Deter Dementia, our goal is simple. We want to use the best available scientific research and evidence to keep your brain healthy and strong. We want to PREVENT cognitive decline, PRESERVE your excellent brain function, and help you PROSPER for the many years you have to look forward to ahead.
There are strategies that can be implemented that will help you preserve your hearing and prevent further cognitive decline moving forward.
Let’s get started together – click the Sign Up link below and let us send you some FREE information and resources that can help specifically for your hearing needs. If you decide to pursue one of our more custom-designed packages, we can tailor our recommendations to your exact needs.
Join us and let us Prevent, Preserve, and Prosper together!
