Can Hearing Loss Bring About Brain Atrophy?

Hearing loss is generally accepted as just another part of the aging process: as we age, we start to hear things a little less intelligibly. Perhaps we need to keep asking the grandkids to speak up when they talk, or we have to turn the volume up on the TV, or maybe…we start…what was I going to say…oh yes. Perhaps we begin to suffer memory loss.

The general population has a much lower rate of dementia and Alzheimer's than the older population. That's the reason why memory loss is regarded as a neutral part of aging. But is it possible that the two are connected somehow? And, better still, what if there was a way to treat hearing loss and also protect your memories and your mental health?

Hearing Loss And Mental Decline

With almost 30 million people in the United States suffering from hearing loss, most of them do not connect hearing loss with mental decline and dementia. However, the link is quite clear if you look in the right places: if you have hearing loss, there is significant risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia, according to numerous studies – even at fairly low levels of hearing impairment.

Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are also fairly prevalent in people who suffer from hearing loss. The main point is that hearing loss, mental health problems, and cognitive decline all have an impact on our ability to socialize.

Why is Cognitive Decline Connected to Hearing Loss?

While there is no concrete finding or definitive evidence that hearing loss causes cognitive decline and mental health issues, there is definitely some link and several clues that experts are looking at. There are two primary scenarios they have pinpointed that they think contribute to problems: inability to socialize and your brain working overtime.

Many studies show that loneliness goes hand in hand with depression and anxiety. And people are less likely to socialize when they are dealing with hearing loss. Lots of people can't enjoy events like going to the movies because they find it too hard to hear the dialog. People who find themselves in this scenario often start to isolate themselves which can result in mental health issues.

Also, researchers have found that the brain frequently has to work overtime to make up for the the ears not hearing as well as they normally would. When this happens, other regions of the brain, including the one used for memory, are diverted for hearing and comprehending sound. This causes cognitive decline to take place much quicker than it normally would.

How to Avoid Cognitive Decline by Wearing Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are our first line of defense against cognitive decline, mental health concerns, and dementia. Research shows that people increased their cognitive functions and were at a reduced chances for developing dementia when they used hearing aids to combat their hearing loss.

Actually, if more people wore their hearing aids, we may see less cases of mental health issues and cognitive decline. Between 15% and 30% of individuals who require hearing aids actually use them, which makes up between 4.5 million and 9 million people. The World Health Organization reports that there are almost 50 million people who suffer from some form of dementia. If hearing aids can decrease that figure by even just a couple of million people, the quality of life for lots of people and families will develop exponentially.