A Connection between Hearing Loss, Depression, and Dementia

If you have been finding yourself having to ask people to repeat themselves more often than not or you feel you need to turn the phone or TV all the way up and it is still sounding quiet, then there is a chance that you are dealing with hearing loss. Hearing loss can be frustrating and if ignored it can lead to more serious issues down the road. 

Untreated hearing loss can make it difficult to communicate with even the closest people in your life, slowly leading to loneliness, depression and self-isolation. Now studies are finding that individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss are up to 5 times the risk of developing dementia.

The Dangers of Letting Hearing Loss Progress

Untreated hearing loss affects your relationships at home and at work, your sense of independence and can even impact your physical health as it progresses. Now, a recent study found that hearing loss not only raised the risk of developing dementia, but the risk elevated as the degree of hearing loss increased. 

A mild hearing loss was defined as a 25 or less degree of hearing loss. People with a mild hearing loss are nearly twice as likely to develop dementia compared to those with normal hearing. For those with moderate hearing loss the risk increased three-fold and rose to five times the risk as for patients who had severe hearing loss. The study found that for every 10-decibel increase in hearing loss, risk for dementia rose by 20 percent. 

The Connection Between Dementia and Hearing Loss

When relationships between friends and loved ones become strained, people tend to withdraw from social situations. It can be incredibly exhausting to struggle to hear as hearing ability declines, causing the brain to strain in order to interpret speech. 

What may seem like casual conversation to someone with healthy hearing can be incredibly exhausting to the brain and body of a person with compromised hearing. Often people will withdraw from social situations causing self-imposed isolation which can continue for years. Much like a muscle an under stimulated brain will grow less sharp.  

As the area of the brain which focuses on hearing grows less and less active, this can result in the loss of tissue and changes in brain structure causing brain atrophy. These changes open the door for a higher risk of dementia.

Listening Exhaustion and Depression 

Hearing loss can be extremely exhausting even if we don’t even know it is present. Hearing loss tends to start slowly making only some pitches and tones difficult to hear while others remain clear. This leaves small gaps in conversation for people in the early days of hearing loss, forcing their brain to work overtime in order to fill in the missing information. This can make casual conversation much more exhausting than before. What may seem like an enjoyable social interaction can be draining for a person with undiagnosed hearing loss. As hearing loss progresses the exhaustion only becomes more severe. This leads people to avoid social interactions over time, leading to anxiety, depression and loneliness. An overwhelmed brain is one factor that raises the risk of dementia. It is understood that stress can lead to the release of hormones which raise the chances of developing dementia.

Hearing Aids and The Fight Against Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia affects 50 million people worldwide with approximately 10 million new cases diagnosed every year. Dementia is irreversible so it’s important to do what you can to prevent this condition from stripping away our precious memories now. Treating your hearing can help you connect to people in your life, stay social, connected and improve quality of life. 

Staying active and social is one of the largest factors in delaying or preventing dementia from developing. Study after study shows that hearing aids not only improve hearing, but they improve an individual’s sense of independence, mental capability, physical health, emotional health and social life. The sooner you diagnose and treat your hearing loss the greater you chance of delaying or avoiding dementia all together. 

It is important to have your hearing checked annually, especially as you reach 65 years old, in order to catch it early. It’s not worth ignoring your hearing when you begin to understand that the quality of your life is at stake. Make an appointment with us  for a hearing test today and find out what treatment may be best for you.