Does hearing loss affect dementia? In 2024 more and more research and papers point to links between a decline in hearing and the potential onset risks of Alzheimers. Also more evidence is emerging that hearing loss could be be one of the early symptoms of dementia, particularly as we age.
Getting Older, the upside (I hope) is that we find that we enjoy our life based on learned experience. We can draw on our own life lessons when faced with challenges or in our pursuit of hobbies, interests, and pastimes. Oh, and we can enjoy dawn sunrises, as we get up earlier than younger people who miss this.
However, one of the issues I found as I have advanced in my years was a decline in my hearing. It was the dense, numb internal feeling, like I was hearing on one side, and as if trying to listen through a ball of cotton wool that I was experiencing. Further, I found with this, at times, the feeling made me feel a bit unbalanced, not stumbling about, but just a bit… whoa, hang on as I got up from a chair. Have you felt the same? Does hearing loss affect balance was a question that came to the fore for me.
Also, if you play any sport or partake in any physical activities muted hearing and all that goes with it, can impact your life. For example, if you read some of my other articles, and the ‘enjoy a healthy lifestyle the 10 tips’ post (read here) you will discover that whilst I am no Gym Bunny (I don’t like the idea of sharing a bench in a gym with someone who has sweated all over it) I do enjoy walking.
Now, walking up hills and down dales with a bit of a numb left ear meant that I wasn’t enjoying my forays into the wild. A simple pleasure potentially curtailed. Also, I am a keen motor biker, and again the joy of the open road could quite literally have hit a dead end if my hearing was impacted. (Lack of hearing, Poor balance, add in to the mix a high-powered motorbike and…)
Aside from the sporting and pastime issues that hearing loss can impact on in our day to day lives, any impairment can also have major health consequences for us. Even just hearing what others are saying to us is a potential challenge. Whilst amongst a group of friends, sometimes I would feel left out as I couldn’t follow the thread of the conversation. Plus, I found myself laughing at the wrong things, at the wrong time because I had mis heard or mis interpreted what was being discussed.
A feeling of being cut off like this can lead to people withdrawing and possibly feeling depressed. Further, you start asking yourself questions such as does hearing loss affect Cognitive ability and will hearing loss affect dementia
Cognitive Impairment.
If a person has trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that can affect or impact their everyday life, then this is known as Cognitive Impairment.
Studies direct us to the conclusion that hearing loss leads to a loss of thinking skills. Our brains play an important role in interpreting what we are hearing. Therefore, establishing the link between how hearing loss affects the way the brain processes sounds may underlie an individual’s Cognitive Impairment, i.e. a decline in thinking and processing information.
‘People who develop hearing problems during mid-life (aged 40–65) have an increased risk of developing dementia. It may also be one of the early symptoms of dementia. Reference the Alzheimers Society. www.alzheimers.org.uk article
Further, Hearing loss may also mean that the areas of the brain that help us understand sounds and speech have to work harder to understand what sounds are. This additional effort may lead to changes in the brain area that affects our memory and thinking abilities.
The Washington Post published an article on ‘Hearing loss is a major risk factor for Dementia‘ The article pointed out that using over the counter hearing aids could improve the lives of those with untreated mild to moderate hearing loss and also mitigate the risk of dementia for millions of people in the United States.
However, individuals are finding that using natural products, possibly as an alternative to physical hearing aids there is a way to:
Support Healthy Hearing
Strengthen Memory
Sharpen mental Activity
As we get older it is important to look after ourselves and there are Key things you can do to protect your hearing as you age. Remember, in Life, Prevention is always better than cure.
1. Get your Ears tested regularly
This is probably to most important thing you can do. Regular testing will help to identify any developing issues and as such can help you to take actions to minimise any damage risk. For example, do you work in an environment that has loud noises. E.g., operate Chainsaws, have machinery around you, work on or in Aircraft etc. Earplugs can help to shut out damaging noise, even noise cancelling headphones are good to use (see below)
2. Noise Prevention
Linked to point 1. Prevention is the first port of call. Earplugs, Noise cancelling headphones, turning down the volume on music, especially if listening through earphones. I used to push the volume to the max on my smart phone when listening to music videos. After a few evenings of this I found I genuinely could not hear properly for about a week. The muted sound was similar to the noise you hear when swimming underwater in a swimming pool. Please turn it down.
3. Risk from Hobbies
If you play any sport, particularly if it involves potential contact around the head area then perhaps consider wearing a head guard. We see Rugby, American Football, Boxing, and martial arts participants all do. A ‘Cauliflower Ear’ is not an attractive look, neither is the resultant hearing damage from one.
But it’s not just Contact style sports. I ride Motorbikes and ear plugs have been a revelation. Not from the noise of the Exhaust (We have strict noise emission regulations in the UK on vehicle exhaust noise) they obviously help, but its in the wind battering you take across the head area from the wind noise and turbulence. If you go to air shows, or attend motorsports events (have any of you been to a NASCAR event and stood by the fence line as the cars roar by in formation? That is something I would love to experience) then ear defenders are a must.
The above is all common sense, but often we just don’t take care of our hearing. Often, I will just operate a garden hedge strimmer, or loud lawn mower without thinking of my hearing. It’s silly things like that which can lead to small declines in hearing performance to the point that before you realise it, you have a hearing problem which in turn could lead to some of the more serious health issues pointed at above.
What am I doing to combat my decline in Hearing?
The above is all well and good, and yes, I mostly do use earplugs and turn the volume down on music (more of that later) but it was only by talking (and listening) to others (and a bit of research) that I started taking a natural remedy. Now I have to be honest in that I cant say that I immediately noticed any difference or improvement in my hearing whatso ever at day one. However, after about the second week I suddenly found that I was saying to myself ‘ooh, I heard that’ from either a TV or Radio, where before I wouldn’t have. Small snippets and bits, but it was a start. Now, five months in, my hearing has improved to the point that I actually turn down the tv to the point where my other half is saying things like “How can you even hear that?”
Another positive is that when I am out walking, I hear so much more of the sounds of nature. Birds, the trees rustling. That type of thing. I also now hear a distant neighbours Sons car alarm, but that is a different issue!
If you would like to know more on the natural remedy I take then press the button below and have a look at other people’s testimonials and stories.
I hope the article has been of some value to you. Please though, if you suffer any sudden hearing loss or have a genuine worry about your hearing go see a Doctor or Physician in the first instance. Impaired hearing will impact your life if you let it, so go and see a specialist if you need to.
Have you ever suffered any of the balance issues I mentioned at the very beginning? Or perhaps you have been to NASCAR? Let me know, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below, as I love to hear from you.
Best Regards
Del
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