For Dementia Awareness Week, during 13-19th May, we are raising awareness on the connection between hearing loss and dementia. Did you know that hearing loss is one of the 12 factors that can increase your risk of dementia? At The Hearing Care Centre, we’re dedicated to not only improving your hearing health but also looking after you like our own family member. Join us as we explore the relationship between dementia and hearing loss and how early intervention can make a huge difference.
Understanding Dementia & Hearing Loss
Dementia and hearing loss might seem like unrelated issues, but research suggests otherwise. Dementia affects memory, thinking, behaviour, and the ability to perform daily activities. Hearing loss, on the other hand, impacts a person’s auditory abilities, making it challenging to process sounds clearly. While they affect different aspects of life, they often overlap with each other which makes many situations a lot harder for an individual.
Factors causing Dementia by The Lancet
Last year, the Lancet published a report which outlined the risk factors of dementia and the best way to reduce the risk. They covered the importance of 12 various factors and how much they can reduce the risk of dementia. If all 12 of these factors were removed, it’s thought that the number of dementia cases would drop by up to 40%. These 12 factors include:
- Hearing loss
- Education
- Hypertension
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Diabetes
- Low social contact
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Brain injury
- Air pollution
- Not completing secondary education
The link between dementia & hearing loss
When a person starts to suffer from hearing loss, this often means that areas of our brains that help us understand speech and sound have to work harder. This may lead to changes in our brain that can affect our memory, thinking abilities, or increase the risk of illnesses such as dementia.
Hearing loss can be a difficult topic for some of us to accept. Sometimes people begin to isolate themselves and stop socialising with friends and family. This can further increase the risk of dementia as the brain is being stimulated less which can result in cognitive decline.
Early Intervention
Recognising the signs of hearing loss and dementia in the early stages is crucial. If hearing loss is left unaddressed, it can worsen and have a huge impact on your quality of life. It can influence communication, personal relationships and emotional well-being which can lead to much larger issues as well as heighten the risk of dementia.
If you have noticed any changes in behaviour, in yourself or a loved one, it may be time to seek professional help. Please don’t suffer in silence and Let our family care for your family. Book a consultation with our friendly audiologists who are here to help you every step of the way.
