Aging comes with its fair share of complications. Hearing loss and dementia are difficulties that many older adults face. As it turns out, the two are linked.
By the time you reach your 70’s, there’s a good chance you’ll be one of the two-thirds of Americans struggling with hearing loss. While most view this issue as a natural side effect of aging and nothing to be overly concerned about, the loss of hearing could have a detrimental effect on your overall brain health.
For some, this news may be alarming. Fortunately, there’s also good news. Aggressively treating hearing loss early on could help stave off cognitive decline and dementia in older adults.
Dementia is not necessarily a disease, but a catch-all term describing difficulty with thinking, problem-solving and other mental tasks. Mounting evidence shows that losing your hearing increases your risk of dementia and memory loss.
While not all who struggle with hearing loss develop dementia, scientists have found that the worse the hearing problems, the greater the chances of mental decline. Researchers aren’t exactly sure of the link between these two conditions. The reasons hearing loss seemingly affect memory loss include the following factors:
As you get older, it becomes more important than ever to focus on habits and activities that will keep your mind active and promote good brain health. Strategies include:
If you find that your ability to hear is declining as you get older, it’s essential that you get a hearing screening. This quick and painless test will help you determine if you’ve experienced hearing loss and if hearing aids would help you.
While significant hearing loss is a common issue among older adults, fewer than 25% to 30% of those suffering from a loss of hearing use hearing aids, increasing the overall risk of mental decline.
To ensure your overall good health, we invite you to contact Beltone today. You can schedule a free hearing evaluation to determine whether hearing aids will improve your ability to hear.