Can hearing loss really lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease? This theory has been tossed around quite a bit lately, but there’s no reason for alarm; however, there are a few things you need to know, if you want to do everything possible to avoid a potential problem. So first let’s talk about the theory, then we’ll talk about what you can do to reduce your chances of having to deal with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease caused by hearing loss.
The Theory Behind Hearing Loss Causing Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
There are conclusions behind several theories as to why hearing loss could possibly lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Several researchers have concluded that hearing loss could lead to “cognitive load.” This means when hearing loss occurs the brain has to strain to decode sounds because their clarity is jumbled and therefore it has to reallocate many of its resources just to hear, which in turn limits other brain functions. Another theory is that hearing loss causes brain atrophy in the parts of the brain that process sound, which means a person’s brain may shrink at a faster rate when impaired hearing is present. The third theory related to hearing loss and cognitive decline is that people who don’t experience normal hearing are less socially active and therefore tend to isolate themselves because it’s so difficult to communicate with others. And isolation is a known risk factor for dementia and other cognitive disorders.
Options For Reducing The Risk Of Dementia Due To Hearing Loss
Can early treatment of a hearing impairment reduce or delay the possibility of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease? The answer is, probably, but more testing is needed before a definitive answer can be given and since the tests are ongoing we aren’t able to provide you with a definite answer at this time. However, anyone with a hearing problem should be seeking treatment, whether they believe it could lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease or not. There is another problem though, which is that although millions of adults over 70 years of age experience hearing loss, fewer than 30 percent of them will consent to wearing a hearing aid. But now with the potential of hearing loss leading to dementia and early correction of such being a potential solution, this will hopefully encourage adults with hearing loss to actively engage in wearing a hearing aid as the benefits will most certainly outweigh the alternative.
The Bottom Line
Hearing loss does not automatically mean you are on your way to experiencing dementia or to having Alzheimer’s disease for that matter; therefore, there is no reason to panic. However, with this knowledge, adults who are experiencing even minimal hearing loss should seek treatment early in an effort to delay or even avoid these ailments altogether.
Being able to possibly reduce one of the risk factors for cognitive decline through the use of a hearing aid is an extremely exciting concept and since there is increasing evidence of a link between hearing loss and dementia this makes for a fantastic solution and one without side effects. And since one-third of Americans aged 65-74 have some sort of hearing loss, the correction of that hearing loss through the use of a hearing aid could have a huge impact on their quality of life and the health of a large segment of our population.