It’s not news that untreated hearing loss can lead to an increased fall risk, cognitive and memory problems, and dementia – but something reassuring is that more people are seeing the connections than ever.
Just recently, a study from Johns Hopkins was published that tracked 639 adults over a 12-year time period. Expert Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D., found that even mild hearing loss doubles the risk of dementia. Moderate hearing loss can triple the risk, and individuals with severe hearing impairments were five times more likely to develop dementia.
Your hearing health affects far more than just your ears; hearing loss can touch other parts of your body too, most notably your brain and its myriad functions.
Hearing Health’s Connection to the Brain
Your ears are an integral part of your balance; as you walk, your ears pick up signals to help you stay steady on your feet. But with hearing loss, those signals are muted or entirely missed. Your equilibrium will be off as a result, leading to a higher risk of falling.
Hearing loss can affect your cognitive abilities too, which is the area of the brain related to motor skills and memory. Without being able to hear the conversation around you, you won’t remember it as well, which can contribute to both social isolation and Alzheimer’s or dementia later down the line.
“Hearing loss also contributes to social isolation,” Dr. Lin said. “You may not want to be with people as much, and when you are, you may not engage in conversation as much. These factors may contribute to dementia.”
Hearing loss can increase your chances of dementia significantly; by protecting and supporting your hearing, as well as looking after your body and staying active, you can avoid those risks to your holistic health, including Alzheimer’s, dementia, and social isolation.
So, why does only one in every seven people over the age of 50 with a hearing loss use a hearing aid?
Dr. Lin intends to find out how hearing aids can help address these risks in further study. We’re looking forward to reading more about what he finds.
Myths About Hearing Aids
Nobody’s jumping at the chance to wear their first pair of hearing aids. With stigmas attached to hearing aids surrounding aging and looking “old,” we understand why people sometimes wait from seven to 10 years before addressing their hearing loss challenges.
Thankfully, advanced hearing aid technology has come far from the clunky, awkward devices of old. Today’s hearing aids are sleek, discreet, and more powerful than ever before – and with no downsides to wearing them, it’s crucial that if you need hearing aids, you should be proactive in addressing your hearing loss challenges.
Hearing loss can change your life with how it affects your bodily health and autonomy. With the power of professional hearing care, you can regain your independence and rejoin the conversations you’ve been missing out on.
Concerned About Your Hearing?
Our team at Provincial Hearing is happy to help you address your hearing loss challenges.
As one of the oldest independent hearing clinics in Nova Scotia, we have the expertise and passion to help you along every step of your hearing loss journey.
Please feel free to request a callback if you have questions or concerns about hearing care. A member of our team will get in touch as soon as we can to help.
Alternatively, for a more immediate conversation, you can find your closest location and call us at:
Truro: 1-888-897-1147
Bridgewater: 1-888-323-4111
Kentville: 1-877-257-5525