Untreated hearing loss makes communication more difficult and limits your ability to enjoy the sounds of the natural and social world. However, did you know that it can also have an effect on your cognitive wellbeing? A wide range of studies have demonstrated that hearing loss is connected to not only cognitive decline but also Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The raw statistics show a strong relationship, but researchers are continuing to seek to understand how this relationship works within the body and the mind. Let’s explore some of the recent findings, as well as the speculated relationship between hearing loss, spoken language, and cognitive decline. The good news is that getting treatment improves this higher risk of cognitive decline, so there is no better time than the present to get the treatment you need.
Research on Hearing Loss and Cognition
Dr. Frank Lin at Johns Hopkins University is a forerunner in researching the connection between hearing loss and cognitive dysfunction, including dementia. In one of many studies published on the topic, Dr. Lin tracked 1,984 people over the course of six years. In this relatively short period of time, those who had untreated hearing loss were 24 percent more likely to develop cognitive decline than their age-mates who did not have hearing loss. Not only were they more likely to have cognitive issues, but they tended to have a faster rate of decline. Specifically, their abilities declined 40 percent faster than those who had normal hearing ability. These studies come alongside a wide range of other research reports validating the relationship. All of these studies exist at the level of population averages, meaning that no individual person is sure to develop dementia if they have hearing loss. However, this increased likelihood is enough to encourage researchers to study the connection further.
Explanations of the Connection
Dr. Lin explains that there are at least three prevailing theories about the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline, and it is likely that a combination of the three effects work together to create this increased risk. First, those who communicate with untreated hearing loss have a greater cognitive load than those who have full hearing ability. When they engage in conversation, they hear a jumbled mess of sound, and the brain scrambles to put together these fragments of sound into something meaningful. Akin to assembling a puzzle without all the pieces, the task is much more difficult for the brain, perhaps leading to cognitive decline more generally. A second factor is social isolation. Those who have untreated hearing loss are more likely to become isolated from their families, friends, and communities. The anxiety and stress associated with communication can be enough to encourage these people to avoid communication altogether.
Rather than risking the embarrassment of not being able to understand what others have to say, these people tend to avoid social gatherings altogether. Social isolation has a strong relationship with cognitive decline. The lack of mental stimulation that occurs for a person who doesn’t see others can be enough to bring about cognitive decline, research shows. The third major explanation has to do with changes in the structure and functioning of the brain. When a person has untreated hearing loss, the brain actually recruits different parts for the task of deciphering sound.
Rather than using the parts of the brain that were normally devoted to advanced thought and comprehension, they can be brought to the task of simply understanding sound instead. This shift in brain activity might account for the higher rates of cognitive decline for those who have untreated hearing loss.
The Cognitive Benefits of Treatment
Alongside this research is a new wave of studies that demonstrate the benefits of hearing aids. Those who get treatment for hearing loss don’t have the increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia that they might have had without hearing aids. With this fact in mind, the time is now to seek treatment. Rather than risking cognitive decline and even dementia, why not make an appointment for a hearing test today? This diagnostic exam will point you toward the treatment you need, potentially preventing serious cognitive issues down the road.
