Risk of Cognitive Decline from Hearing Loss
When someone asks, “Can you hear me now?” You want to be able to say “yes”. Having age-related hearing loss puts you at risk for cognitive decline. As you likely know, cognitive decline is challenging to treat so you certainly want to minimize any risk you can.
Cognitive decline or dementia is a growing problem and it is estimated that 150 million individuals worldwide will suffer from cognitive impairment by 2050.
A French study involving 62,ooo participants aged 45 to 69 found an association between the severity of hearing loss and several domains of cognitive impairment. One key point is that the use of hearing aids did not significantly lower the odds of cognitive impairment except among individuals with depression. In that study 49% had normal hearing, 38% had mild hearing loss, 10% had disabling hearing loss but did not use hearing aids, and 3% wore hearing aids.
Twenty-seven percent (27%) with mild hearing loss and 37% with disabling hearing loss had scores consistent with cognitive decline compared to 16% whose hearing was normal. Those are sobering numbers. This means that one in six over the age of 45 have some degree of cognitive impairment even if they have normal hearing.
It is believed that 8% of the cases of cognitive decline are hearing loss related and hearing loss affects more than half of adults aged 60 to 65 with increasing prevalence with aging.
How Does Hearing Loss Lead to Cognitive Decline?
There are some theories as to why hearing loss leads to cognitive decline. One is that those with hearing loss tend to become socially isolated. Another is that because of the hearing impairment, the brain is not receiving auditory input. To stay fit, the brain needs stimulation, just like the remainder of the body. The brain receives less stimulation when hearing is impaired. Hearing loss is associated with the loss of brain volume in critical areas.
Though the use of hearing aids was not associated with any significant reduction in cognitive decline, it is still recommended that those disabling hearing loss use hearing aids to improve quality of life in general.
Loud Music and Noises
More importantly, protect your hearing as much as possible. We will have to see what research shows on the chronic use of earbuds and headphones and hearing loss and any cognitive decline. However early data does not look promising. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 1 in 8 young people ages 6 to 19 have hearing loss due to loud music coming through headphones and earbuds.
If you have family members in this age group, it would be wise to educate them on avoiding loud music, especially for prolonged periods. Eighty (80) to 85 decibels is considered the upper limit for safe listening in an eight-hour workday. It is felt if you listen to music at 50% to 60% of the maximum volume, that you can probably listen to music most of the day.
