We all hope to have a healthy brain as we age and don’t like to think about cognitive diseases like dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. It’s estimated that by the year 2050, over 130 million people worldwide will be living with dementia. Even today, millions of Americans struggle with dementia, and that number is only rising. The good news is that dementia can be prevented, and a few simple lifestyle changes now could protect your brain in the future.
Studying Dementia
A recent study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London tackles the risk factors of Dementia. These factors include things like smoking, physical inactivity, social isolation, and obesity. The study argues that 33% of the global cases of dementia could be prevented with a few simple lifestyle changes. They listed untreated hearing loss as one of the biggest preventable causes of dementia. “Although dementia is diagnosed in later life,” explains lead author Gill Livingston from University College London, “the brain changes usually begin to develop years before. Acting now will vastly improve life for people with dementia and their families and, in doing so, will transform the future of society.”
Hearing Loss and Dementia
The study combines the research of 24 international experts, who all say that changing your lifestyle now is the best thing you can do for your brain, strengthening your neural networks, and staying healthy so your brain can keep functioning as you age.
Hearing loss, especially for middle-aged adults, is a major risk factor for dementia. Living with untreated hearing loss isn’t just about missing sounds in your environment or struggling to follow conversations. It also has a huge impact on your brain, weakening the pathways in the brain, and leading to cognitive decline. Researchers say that living with untreated hearing loss can rob people of a cognitively rich environment and increase the chances of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Not only that, but hearing loss often leads to social isolation and increases the risk of depression, and both these factors are also listed in the top nine risk factors for developing dementia.
Lifestyle Changes that can Prevent Dementia
If you want to do your part to keep your brain healthy, and safeguard your health for years to come, take a look at your lifestyle, and make a few changes. You know that smoking is bad for your health, and bad for your brain, so consider dropping this habit. Another way to keep your brain healthy is to maintain a healthy weight and preventing diabetes. Look at your diet, and make sure you’re eating balanced meals with lots of vegetables and fruits. Exercise is important too, so take time out of your week to go for a long walk and get outside more.
Treating Hearing Loss to Prevent Dementia
If you’re worried that you might be one of the 130 million people that will struggle with the negative effects of dementia in the next few years, then do the right thing for your brain and treat your hearing loss today. No one needs to live with untreated hearing loss, and one simple device could change your life and your future forever.
To reduce your risk of developing dementia, it’s critical that you treat your hearing loss as early as possible. If you live with untreated hearing loss, not only are you missing out on a world of sounds, you’re also increasing your chances of cognitive decline. As you lose certain sounds in your environment, the areas of your brain responsible for processing these sounds weaken, and eventually certain cognitive pathways are lost forever. Even if you treat hearing loss later in life, you’ll never be able to hear these sounds, and your brain won’t be as strong as it once was.
Visit us At My Hearing Centers
If you think you might have hearing loss or want to assess you hearing to get a better picture of your hearing health, visit us today at My Hearing Centers for a hearing test. We’ll assess your ability to hear in quiet and in noise and recommend the hearing aids that are designed to suit your lifestyle, hearing needs, and budget. Don’t wait, but call today to book an appointment with one of our hearing specialists.