September is World Alzheimer’s Month! This month focuses on raising awareness and advocacy for dementia – a group of chronic medical conditions that deteriorate brain health. The Alzheimer’s Disease International estimates that 55 million people are living with dementia globally. This is expected to rapidly increase, impacting 139 million people by 2050.
Dementia enompasses various conditions that are characterzed by cognitive decline. The most common type is Alzheimer’s which accounts for up to 70% of the dementia people live with today. These conditions do not have a cure and are irreversible so extensive research focuses on ways to prevent dementia. Studies show that hearing health is associated with brain health and that hearing loss can increase the risk of cognitive decline. This also highlights that treating hearing loss can help protect the brain.
Impact of Hearing Loss on Brain Health
Substantial research shows that there is a correlation between hearing loss and cognitive decline. One of the most significant studies that highlights this link was published in the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association in 2019. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School investigated this link by assessing the cognitive and hearing capacities of 10,107 people. Participants were at least 62 years old and were evaluated for 8 years. Researchers found that compared to participants without hearing those, cognitive decline among those with impaired hearing was:
- 30% higher among people with mild hearing loss
- 42% higher among people with moderate hearing loss
- 54% higher among people with severe hearing loss
These findings show that hearing loss was associated with a significant higher risk of cognitive decline. It also reveals that the degree of impairment also further increased the risk. This study is one of many that identify hearing loss as a risk factor for cognitive decline. Experts suggest that hearing loss can impact brain health in various ways. It can shrink areas of the brain that help process auditory information, force the brain to work harder to process sound which overlaps the brain, and reorganize neural networks. These effects impact cognitive functions and can contribute to cognitive decline.
Recognizing Signs of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss typically happens gradually so signs can be overlooked for a while, contributing to a delay in treatment. Being able to recognize early signs can help you identify any changes you experience to your hearing health so that you can intervene early. Common hearing loss signs include:
- Sounds are slurred, muffled, and distorted.
- Tinnitus which is a ringing or buzzing noise in one or both ears.
- Increasing the volume on the TV, phone, or other electronic devices.
- Difficulty hearing and following conversations, especially in environments with background noise.
- Lip reading to help distinguish words.
- Pretending to hear, feeling confused during conversations, missing words etc.
- Moving to a quieter area to help hear more clearly.
- Finding yourself saying “huh” or “what” in response to what others are saying.
- Asking others to repeat themselves, speaker louder, and/or slower.
- Feeling fatigued after conversations and social interactions.
Hearing loss symptoms strain communication and make it difficult to participate in conversations. Communication can feel exhausting and require more work so people often avoid them as much as possible. This leads to social withdrawal, a common effect of untreated hearing loss. Additionally, untreated hearing loss can impact health by increasing health risks like cognitive decline.
Treatment Improves Brain Health
Treating hearing loss offers countless life-changing benefits. This includes transforming hearing, communication, and health. The most common treatment is hearing aids, electronic devices that help absorb and process sound. Studies show that hearing aids can improve brain health, this includes the following research:
- 2020 Study Published in Science Daily: researchers at the University of Melbourne evaluated the cognitive health for nearly 100 participants before and after using hearing aids. Participants, ages 62-82, were evaluated before hearing aid use and 18 months after wearing the device. Researchers found that “97% of participants showed either clinically significant improvement or stability in executive function (mental ability to plan, organize information and initiate tasks)”.
- 2018 Study Published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society: researchers studied the impact of wearing hearing aids for over 2,000 people by conducting memory tests every two years for 18 years. After analyzing results, researchers found that hearing aids used improved scores on memory tests, highlighting that cognitive functions had improved.
Treating hearing loss provides numerous benefits that enhance quality of life. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a hearing test.