How a hearing aid could save your brain.

You might think that losing your hearing with age is simply a nuisance, but according to Professor Gill Livingston of University College London, who was the lead author on last year’s Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care, hearing impairment is the single biggest preventable risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

“We believe that hearing loss could be responsible for as many as eight in every 100 cases of dementia,” she says.

“We think that’s because losing your hearing is associated with diminished cognitive stimulation. When your brain is in a cognitively stimulating environment, this causes positive physical changes, and the best way to create an environment like that is to talk to other people: you can’t anticipate what they’re going to say and you have to respond to it; you hear different points of view, and that works your brain.”

“But if you can’t easily hear what other people are saying, you may begin to avoid other people. This lack of social stimulation can lead to depression, which is another risk factor for dementia.”

The good news is that getting a hearing aid can remove this risk factor entirely.

“From the population studies out there, we can see that people who use hearing aids don’t have any higher risk of dementia than people who don’t have a hearing impairment.”

So next time you think someone is mumbling, or the TV needs turned up, think about whether it’s your ears that might be the problem – and get them checked out.

If you have any further questions or need additional information concerning hearing loss or hearing aids, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Read more here on the full article.