Celebrate World Alzheimer’s Month with a Hearing Test

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, so it’s a great time to ask all your questions about Alzheimer’s disease. This brain disease is most common among seniors, and millions of older adults around the world are living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This month we’re joining Alzheimer’s Disease International in their campaign to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s, and help you learn more about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disease that affects the brain. This means it will start out gradually, and then get worse over time. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia, so you’ll often hear both words being used to describe the disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is caused by some unusual cell growth in the brain. These growths, called plaques and tangles, take over certain parts of the brain. They make it hard for those areas to function normally. If you have Alzheimer’s disease, you’ll notice that you have a hard time with certain tasks, such as memory, cognitive function, or even getting dressed in the morning.

How to Recognize Alzheimer’s Disease

At first, you may not notice many symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Changes can be mild, and you may think that any changes you’re experiencing are just a normal part of aging. However, there are a few ways to recognize Alzheimer’s disease.

Pay close attention to your memory. It’s normal to have occasional lapses in memory, like forgetting to pick up milk when you’re at the grocery store. If you have dementia, your memory will slowly get worse. You may forget what day it is, or forget to take your medication. You will also start to have gaps in your recent memories, like forgetting who you met last week, or what you did yesterday.

Another common symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is having a hard time doing tasks that used to be easy. For example, you might be halfway through getting ready for bed, and then forget what you need to do next. Or you may have a hard time doing something you’ve done hundreds of times before, like making pancakes or balancing the checkbook.

Alzheimer’s disease can lead to some changes in your mood. You may react differently to situations, or experience mood swings. Your loved ones may also point out that your personality has changed.

The Connection Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Hearing Loss

You may be surprised to learn that Alzheimer’s disease and hearing loss are connected. If you’re living with untreated hearing loss, you have a higher risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, researcher Dr. Frank Lin showed that people with hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia  when compared to people who don’t have hearing loss.

One thing that keeps your brain healthy is hearing clearly. When your ears can pick up on all the sounds around you and send these sounds to your brain, a number of neural pathways in the brain are activated. Your brain gets a lot of good exercise as it processes these sounds. However, when you have hearing loss, you’re missing a lot of sounds in your environment. Rather than getting healthy mental exercise, you spend the day straining to hear, and end up completely exhausted. This fatigue can actually increase cognitive decline, and lead to dementia.

Get Your Hearing Tested

Do you think you have hearing loss? Have you been struggling to follow conversations or hear in places with a lot of background noise? Maybe you’ve been sleeping through the alarm clock or keep turning up the volume on the TV. If you’re concerned that you might have hearing loss, get your hearing tested! During a hearing test, you’ll listen to a series of tones at different volumes and pitches. All you’ll need to do is let us know when you hear a sound.

Celebrate World Alzheimer’s Month by getting a hearing test and learning more about your hearing health. If you have hearing loss, we’ll help you find the right treatment option. We have great hearing aids to match your lifestyle, and we’ll suggest the hearing aids that suit your hearing needs. Find hearing aids and reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.