Imagine forgetting a familiar name mid-conversation, or struggling to follow a discussion in a crowded restaurant. These frustrating moments can be everyday occurrences for people with hearing loss. But what if there was a way to improve your hearing and potentially preserve your memory and mental focus? Recent studies suggest a link between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline. Thanks to this updated research, the modern advancements in hearing aids are now part of a winning strategy to maintain positive brain functions. Could hearing aids be the key to keeping your mind sharp as you age?
Understanding How Hearing Loss Impacts Cognitive Abilities
Improving cognitive function starts by putting less work on the brain’s natural auditory processing. Hearing aids reduce the amount your brain has to work to make up for hearing loss in one or both ears. For someone with average hearing, listening is a normal function. With hearing loss, the brain is now forced into overdrive in an effort to make sense of the garbled information. As this happens throughout the day, there are less resources for the brain to operate optimally. Over the course of several years, an overworked brain becomes less consistent in the way it handles garbled information. This is when a noticeable mental decline starts, and is around the same time many finally seek professional help.
Research into hearing loss provides a general idea of when the decline is most noticeable. Professionals use the Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS test instrument) as a way to score cognitive function. The National Institutes of Health points to a five-point decline on the 3MS after seven years on average for hearing loss sufferers. That five-point change is right in line with what many professionals consider a worthwhile jump to explore cognitive impairment. For individuals with normal hearing, the same change takes almost eleven years. Those extra few years for individuals with hearing loss significant, as the brain is taxed beyond its capabilities. Lost years from untreated hearing loss will lead to a lower limit for optimal brain health. Whether the severity from the loss is mental or physical, the overall condition will now have a chance to become chronic.
Consistent Improvement in Brain Function Over Three Years
After many successful variations, hearing aids have become a pivotal tool for consistent enhancement in brain function. With at least three years minimum of improvement, research has shown that the devices play a crucial role in slowing hearing loss related cognitive decline. For many with hearing loss, this is a breakthrough in how professionals’ approach long-term treatment plans.
Just like the brain, hearing aids were built on the idea of optimized multitasking. Auditory processing was never meant to be the sole heavy task on your brain. With a hearing device, the strain of one sense normalizes so that other mental resources can go through the queue. The most noticeable cognitive improvements in this situation are better attention spans and memory. It is a domino effect that helps communication, socializing and engagement. Instead of gradually losing small pieces of an identity through hearing loss, an individual is empowered with multiple years of more-evenly distributed stimulation.
Continued Exploration
Cognitive decline is a subject that will always garner the attention of the health industry. It is in a complex category, and hearing aids as a deterrent is a promising avenue for study. For an individual, the biggest step to reducing cognitive decline is by getting evaluated for hearing loss. Hearing problems tend to hide in plain sight until they evolve into a bigger health concern. A proactive approach to hearing is necessary to address health concerns before they get too far ahead. Tinnitus is a good example, since temporary side effects can be a small part of a completely different health issue. There are multiple outcomes to a hearing loss journey, but the better stories come from individuals that prioritized early intervention.
How Hearing Aids Contribute to Better Overall Health
Hearing health can be an easily overlooked facet of wellbeing, but with proactive steps, managing hearing loss can help you prevent further cognitive decline. For those dealing with hearing loss, the link between these two is the key to a better life. In a world built for social engagement, there is nothing more empowering than taking control of your health. Instead of the brain fighting to communicate in every interaction, it can rediscover consistency, and a new quality of life.
Sources
New study links hearing loss with dementia in older adults. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2023, January 10). https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/new-study-links-hearing-loss-with-dementia-in-older-adults
Lin, F. R., Yaffe, K., Xia, J., Xue, Q.-L., Harris, T. B., Purchase-Helzner, E., Satterfield, S., Ayonayon, H. N., Ferrucci, L., Simonsick, E. M., & Health ABC Study Group. (2013, February 25). Hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults. JAMA internal medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3869227/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20individuals%20with%20hearing,in%20those%20with%20normal%20hearing
Hearing aids help slow cognitive decline, study finds: Alz.org. AAIC. (2023, July 18). https://aaic.alz.org/releases_2023/hearing-aids-slow-cognitive-decline.asp
