Why Your Hearing Loss Could Lead To Dementia
If you are cranking up the TV volume that little bit higher these days, here’s something you should know about hearing loss: it may be a risk factor for dementia.
A landmark 2020 study published by The Lancet identified hearing loss as one of the 12 major risks for developing dementia, a disease which affects 500,000 Australians.
Maree McCabe, CEO of Dementia Australia, says it is not only the elderly that are at risk of dementia and that one in 13 people with dementia are in their 50s, 40s or 30s. “Dementia is also the leading cause of death for women in Australia, second only to heart disease,” she says.
One of the Lancet study’s recommendations was the use of hearing aids to reduce the risk from hearing loss.
McCabe says hearing loss can place an additional load on a vulnerable brain and that when it has to work hard to process and decode sounds, there are fewer resources available for memory, understanding, speech and other cognitive functions, which can lead to changes in the brain.
Hearing loss can also create a barrier to enjoying a healthy social life. Some people with hearing loss spend less time interacting with others, says McCabe, which is another risk factor for dementia.
“It stops people going out. They will say, ‘I'm not going to that event or dinner because I can’t hear.’ They are embarrassed, they become socially isolated and social isolation can lead to depression which leads to dementia. It’s a flow-on effect.
““The brain loves to be stimulated … if we lose a sense such as hearing, there is a direct impact because we stop engaging fully in conversation.””
“People may have hearing loss and never develop dementia, but we do know it increases your risk of dementia.”
An active lifestyle – physically, mentally and socially – helps our brains function better. “The brain loves to be stimulated, it loves to learn and both education and exercise build brain volume,” says McCabe. “If we lose a sense such as hearing, there is a direct impact because we stop engaging fully in conversation.”
The most heartbreaking consequence of living with dementia, says McCabe, is the discrimination sufferers face.
“Dementia is largely an invisible disability. What we can’t see we don’t understand, and what we don’t understand we avoid, and that is how people living with dementia experience their life. People start avoiding them, they stop including them and it is profoundly isolating.”
If you notice any change in your hearing, McCabe advises getting it checked sooner rather than later. “Hearing loss can make a massive difference to our overall health and wellbeing, including our cognitive wellbeing.
“We just know there are things you can do to reduce dementia risk and looking after your hearing is one of those things.”
Knowing when it’s time to take that step is tricky. “It can be insidious. If we find ourselves saying, ‘Can you repeat that?’, or turning the volume on the TV up louder, these are indicators to get your hearing checked, but you should consult with your doctor about it.”
McCabe says that maintaining good physical health is also a good preventative measure.
“Looking after our blood pressure and heart health are important for brain health. A US study showed that 100 per cent of people who had high blood pressure and impaired cognition noticed an improvement in cognition when their blood pressure was treated – of course, that doesn’t mean treating high blood pressure will cure dementia.”
If you have any concerns about yourself or a loved one, call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500.