Dementia is a general term for cognitive decline that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. Memory loss is one of this condition’s most notorious side effects, which is why Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.
Almost 7 million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s disease with 6.7 million of those people being over the age of 65. In addition, people with moderate to severe hearing loss are up to 5 times as likely to develop dementia.
What’s the Connection?
We don’t hear with our ears, we “hear” with our brains. The brain relies on our hearing ability to properly identify sounds and convert those sounds into information. When you can’t hear well due to hearing loss, the brain has to work harder to understand the little information it can hear. This can lead to listening fatigue and cognitive overload.
Studies have shown that difficulty hearing spoken conversation is associated with up to 91% increased risk of dementia.
What Can You Do?
If you have hearing loss, one of the best ways to preserve your brain health is to wear hearing aids. Hearing aids will provide your brain with the proper sound stimulation it needs to stay active and healthy, in turn keeping your cognitive abilities sharp.
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. You can be involved by having your hearing screened. Encourage your family and friends to have their own hearing screened too and be proactive of your brain health by wearing hearing aids if a hearing loss is present.
Maintain Your Brain Health
Call Audiology Associates of North Jersey today at (201) 928-0808 to schedule a hearing exam and start being proactive about your hearing and brain health!