Is Dementia Slowed by Wearing Hearing Aids?

Woman with hearing loss tuning out to the people around her and starting to have cognitive decline.

Your brain can be helped by treating your hearing loss. At least, that’s according to a new study by a team of researchers from the University of Manchester. These analysts considered a team of around 2000 individuals over a time period of almost 2 decades (1996 to 2014). The outstanding conclusions? Dealing with your hearing loss can slow dementia by up to 75%.

That is not a small number.

But is it actually that surprising? The importance of the finding, of course, is still relevant, that type of statistical correlation between hearing loss treatment and the fight against dementia is noteworthy and stunning. But it coordinates well with what we currently know: as you age, it’s crucial to treat your loss of hearing if you want to slow down cognitive decline.

How am I Impacted by This Research?

Scientific studies can be confusing and contradictory (should I eat eggs, should I not eat eggs? How about wine? Will drinking wine help me live longer?). There are many unrelated causes for this. Because here’s the bottom line: yet further proof, this research suggests untreated loss of hearing can lead to or worsen mental decline including dementia.

So for you personally, what does this mean? It’s very simple in some ways: you should set up an appointment with us right away if you’ve noticed any loss of hearing. And you need to start wearing that hearing aid as directed if you discover you need one.

Hearing Aids Assist in Preventing Dementia When You Wear Them Regularly

Regrettably, when people are prescribed with hearing aids, they don’t always immediately get into the habit of using them. Some of the reasons why are:

  • How hearing aids look worries you. You’d be surprised at the wide variety of models we have available nowadays. Additionally, many hearing aid models are manufactured to be very discreet.
  • The hearing aid doesn’t feel like it works as advertised. Many people need to have their settings adjusted, and calibration problems are definitely something that can be addressed by us.
  • The hearing aid isn’t feeling like it fits well. If you are suffering from this issue, please contact us. We can help make it fit better.
  • Voices are difficult to understand. In some situations, it takes time for your brain to adjust to recognizing voices again. We can recommend things to do to help make this process easier, like reading along with an audiobook.

Clearly wearing your hearing aids is important to your health and future cognitive faculties. We can help if you’re trying to cope with any of the above. At times the solution will take time or patience, but working with us to ensure your hearing aids are working for you is a part of the process.

And in light of these new findings, managing your hearing loss is more significant than it ever has been. Hearing aids are safeguarding your hearing health and your mental health so it’s essential to be serious about treatment.

Dementia And Hearing Aids, What’s The Connection?, What’s The Connection?

So what’s the actual link between loss of hearing and dementia? Social solitude is the prominent theory but experts are not 100% certain. When suffering from loss of hearing, some people hide themselves away socially. Yet another theory refers to sensory stimulation. All senses induce activity in the brain, and some experts theorize that losing stimulation can cause cognitive decline over time.

Your hearing aid helps you hear better. Delivering a natural defense for your brain against cognitive decline and helping to keep your brain active. That’s why a link between the two should not be unexpected and why hearing loss treatments can slow down dementia by up to 75%.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.