Hearing Loss Affects Everyday Life - May Increase Risk of Dementia - What Can You Do for You or a Loved One?

We take hearing for granted, but several studies indicate that adults with some hearing loss increase their risk of developing dementia more than those who have normal hearing. Research from Johns Hopkins reports hearing loss is also linked with problems with walking and balance, leading to a higher risk of falls. Other issues are associated with the gradual loss of hearing as we get older, including depression. 

Being less social and less engaged may be a link to why hearing loss might lead to dementia, according to Cleveland Clinic geriatric medicine specialist Ronan Factora, MD.

The cause behind this link is unclear. But one theory is that hearing loss tends to cause some people to withdraw from conversations and participate less in activities.

Hearing loss affects almost one-third of adults ages 61 to 70 and more than 80 percent of those older than 85. The leading cause of adult-onset hearing loss is the consequences of aging on our auditory system. 

However, other factors cause problems with hearing in addition to age. These factors include chronic diseases like diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Our genetics and exposure to loud noise over our lifetime will also contribute to decreased hearing and tendinitis. 

Although there are dozens of painful, frustrating ways hearing loss can affect your everyday life, there are three that many find the most common and troubling. Do not ignore signs of hearing loss, as it is vital to your well-being that you take care of your hearing before it becomes a problem.

Be proactive if you see signs of hearing loss with an older family member. Be kind, truthful, loving, and upbeat, but be aware that your loved one may be defensive or deny that they have hearing loss.

Withdrawal From Society

People who have some hearing loss find it frustrating in everyday conversations. They often decide between repeatedly asking someone to repeat themselves or accepting that they will never hear what the person has to say. Sometimes they just nod their heads in agreement despite not hearing the conversation. In some situations, a person may make comments that have nothing to do with the conversation as they have not heard or misheard what was being said. These are the social pressures those with hearing problems must struggle with daily.

Some people with hearing problems will find it easier to isolate themselves instead of being left out of a conversation they find hard to hear. Since people with hearing loss may feel unable to communicate, they often separate themselves from others, leading to depression.

John Hopkins expert Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues found that mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk. People with severe hearing impairment were five times more likely to acquire dementia than those with moderate hearing loss.

Brain scans show us that hearing loss may contribute to a faster rate of atrophy in the brain. Hearing loss also contributes to social isolation. You may not want to be with people as much, and when you are you may not engage in conversation as much. These factors may contribute to dementia.

Inability To Enjoy Entertainment

When you have trouble hearing, it can be incredibly upsetting to slowly see yourself unable to enjoy a trip to the theater or your favorite television show. 

Someone with hearing loss may turn the volume way up when watching TV to follow the dialog. People with hearing difficulties either need to learn how to watch TV without disturbing others or find other sources of entertainment.

Do not let your hearing loss stop you or a loved one from enjoying the small pleasures in life. Enjoying conversation with friends and family is essential, especially as you age. As Dr. Lin mentions, isolation is not good and increases dementia risk.

Career Troubles

More people are working past retirement age, either because they need to or because they enjoy their careers. However, problems with your hearing can wreak havoc on your career.

People with trouble hearing struggle to communicate in an office setting, just like in social spaces. The inability to effectively communicate with their customers and colleagues will affect their job performance.

People struggling with poor hearing must put in extra effort at work just to tune out the sounds in the background. You can see how this can cause problems in meetings, when speaking to a supervisor, or when handling a customer.

What Can Be Done About Hearing?

First, taking care of your hearing when you are young will help you as you get older. But what happens after living life and listening to all that loud rock n roll in your younger years? Is there a way to improve hearing after you have had some loss?

There are several ways to address hearing loss, and the treatment will depend on the severity of your hearing loss and the cause. Perhaps the most popular treatment option is hearing aids.

Hearing aids are expensive and are generally not covered by health insurance (some will, depending on the plan). For those aged 65 and older, Medicare will not cover the costs of hearing aids for adults. However, the diagnostic evaluations will be covered if ordered by your doctor to assist the physician in developing a treatment plan.

There is a wide variety of hearing aids, but other options can be used. Discuss any hearing problem with your doctor, who will often send you to an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist first to rule out other health problems and make recommendations.  

Is it Dementia or a Hearing Problem?

For older people, be sure they address hearing problems. Remember, older people often deny they have a problem hearing; instead, they may withdraw. 

Sometimes an older person will be diagnosed with dementia when the real problem is hearing loss. While hearing loss may affect an individual's brain structure in a way that contributes to cognitive decline, on occasion, there is no problem with a person's memory - just their ears.

Dr. Colin Driscoll, a Mayo Clinic head and neck surgeon, says that hearing loss was once thought to be "one of those things" that come with aging. However, hearing loss can start a cascade of health issues, including making symptoms of dementia worse.

If you have hearing loss, now you're devoting more and more of your cognitive ability to trying to understand what's being said. My brain is working overtime to sort the words out and understand the sentences. So, if I'm peeling away a whole bunch of my energy to apply it to the simple task of listening and understanding speech, it's not available then for my other activities. It's not causing Alzheimer's disease or a structural dementia in that way, but it's leading to a change in your cognitive ability.

Driscoll says there is evidence that improving hearing can improve cognition.

We know improving hearing decreases the risk of social isolation, depression — which we know are connected with falls, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease.

Be sure the doctor has conducted hearing tests before determining if an older family member has dementia.