The Hearing Loss-Dementia Connection

reading“Who are you again?” “Mom, it’s me…your daughter…”

For everyone involved, few conditions are more painful to cope with than dementia. Memory loss, difficulty communicating, confusion, personality changes, mood swings; the list of debilitating symptoms goes on and on. According to recent medical studies, a surprising new risk factor for developing dementia has been identified and may be responsible for increasing someone’s risk three-fold. The culprit? Untreated hearing loss.

In 2011, John Hopkins University conducted a study in which the cognitive health of more than 600 people was monitored over the span of 12 years. The shocking results? The worse the initial hearing loss was, the more likely the person was to develop dementia. In fact, compared with people of normal hearing, those with moderate hearing loss actually had triple the risk. An additional study was performed in 2013 by John Hopkins that yielded eerily similar results. The researchers concluded that the hearing loss seems to speed up age-related decline.

But what does hearing loss have to do with dementia? Well, there are a handful of theories used to explain this phenomenon, but two in particular stand out as the most sensible: strain on the brain and social isolation.

“Huh?” “Can you repeat that?” People with even a moderate hearing loss continuously place stress on their brain as they expend effort straining to understand. Over time this weakens the brain and causes it to become more vulnerable to conditions like dementia. Likewise, those who struggle with their hearing are frequently prone to social isolation. Do you know someone in your family with hearing loss? Think back to a recent family gathering. There’s a good chance this individual spent at least part of their time withdrawn from the rest of the family. Or perhaps they were sitting at the dinner table, right in the middle of the action, yet seemed distant and uninvolved in the conversations surrounding them. This type of social isolation has long been recognized as a key risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia.

So how should we use this new information? Step one is to be proactive. Contact a local hearing professional to schedule an evaluation. Even if you are not currently experiencing any symptoms of hearing loss, it is important to have a baseline hearing test completed at least once during your adult life. Those 55 and older should have their hearing tested annually. Lastly, because of the slow and gradual nature of hearing loss, many people wait far too long before seeking help. Unfortunately, this delay often proves costly for both the individual struggling and their family. If you or someone you care about has a conformed hearing loss, please do not hesitate to see treatment options.