Here And Now
Hearing Loss and Cognitive decline - Understand the connections this World Alzheimer’s Month
World Alzheimer’s Month is an opportunity to raise awareness of the different factors that can influence brain health, including hearing loss.
Hearing and brain health are more closely connected than you might think. Research has found an association between hearing loss and an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. However, it is important to understand that hearing loss does not mean that someone will develop dementia.
So, what's the connection between the two?
How Can Hearing Loss Affect The Brain?
Hearing isn’t just our ears detecting sounds. Our brains play an important role in processing and interpreting what we hear, particularly when we’re trying to follow a conversation in a busy or noisy environment.
There are three major ways that hearing loss affects the brain.
- When hearing is lost, the brain works overtime to decode muffled sound, draining mental resources normally used for memory and problem-solving.
- Trouble hearing can make everyday socialisation more difficult, leading to people withdrawing from conversations, and loneliness deprives the brain of vital social stimulation.
- Reduced auditory input can speed up atrophy in brain regions responsible for sound processing and memory.
Although the exact relationship between hearing loss and dementia is still being investigated, these factors may help explain why the two are linked. Importantly, this does not mean that hearing loss causes Alzheimer’s disease or that someone with hearing loss will develop dementia.
Why is Looking After Your Hearing Health Important?
The connection between hearing and cognitive health is one reason why looking after your hearing should be part of your overall approach to healthy ageing.
The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia identified hearing loss as one of several potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia. Alzheimer’s Society also recommends protecting your hearing and managing hearing loss as a part of supporting brain health.
If you notice that conversations are becoming harder to follow, you regularly ask people to repeat themselves, struggle to hear in restaurants or find yourself turning the tv up louder than before, it might be time to have your hearing checked.
Can Hearing Aids Help?
If a hearing assessment identifies hearing loss, your audiologist can discuss the most appropriate options with you.
While they do not guarantee dementia prevention, there is some evidence that using hearing aids when they are needed may help reduce cognitive symptoms and slow cognitive decline in people at risk of dementia.
Hearing aids can make everyday communication easier by providing clearer access to sound, helping reduce the effort needed to follow conversations. This can make it easier to stay connected with family, friends and the wider community, supporting both social wellbeing and cognitive health. By reducing the amount of mental effort needed to process unclear or missing sounds, hearing aids may also help ease the cognitive demands associated with listening with hearing loss.
Don’t Ignore Changes in Your Hearing
Hearing loss can develop gradually, meaning it’s not always easy to recognise yourself. Family and friends may notice changes before you do.
Regular hearing assessments, especially in older age, can help identify hearing loss early and give you the opportunity to explore suitable treatment and support.
This World Alzheimer’s Month, remember that looking after your hearing is not just about hearing better. It is also an important part of looking after your overall health and staying connected to the people and activities that matter to you.
If you have noticed changes in your hearing, or you have not had your hearing checked recently, book a hearing assessment with The Ear Place. Our team can assess your hearing and talk you through the options available to you.