HOT PURSUIT
Two things have seemed to become prevalent in my family in recent years. They are hearing loss and dementia, and with the threat of one leading to the other, I have found myself needing to take action.
Hearing loss has actually impacted me for most of my life. I still remember going down to the nurse’s office at school for hearing tests. During my grade school years, the nurse detected some hearing loss, though it was not substantial, and nothing immediately needed to be done.
Fast forward about five decades later and I find myself at a crossroads of either continuing to deal with ongoing hearing loss (it’s has gotten worse since the days of the school nurse) by cranking up the sound louder or doing something about it.
I’ve procrastinated with doing anything as I’ve watched my parents battle hearing loss and the struggles they’ve had with hearing aids. At times it has left me questioning if the expense is worth it.
It’s important to give you a little more context to my situation, which will explain why I am perhaps oversensitive to these medical issues. My uncle has been suffering from dementia for at least the past five years. I have seen first-hand how dementia is downright scary for not only the people affected by it, but also their families.
To look at my uncle, who at one time was a college professor, in the eye and have him squeeze my hand saying, “I’ve lost my mind,” as what happened Sunday afternoon, is one of the worst experiences in my life. It’s downright depressing and a path I never want to encounter.
Last fall when I was assisting my mother with her hearing appointment, the audiologist asked me about my hearing. I kind of brushed it off as no big deal, even though deep down inside I knew something should be done. What happened next changed me immediately. She told me that hearing loss can cause dementia. I didn’t need to hear anything more.
While there is obviously no guarantee that I can avoid dementia, I want to do anything and everything in my power to keep it at bay. Within the next month, I had made myself an appointment and got fitted with hearing aids just before the holidays. I guess you can say it was a Christmas gift to myself.
I’ve also done research on the link between the two ever since that day of reckoning in the audiologist’s office. Many studies show a direct connection between hearing loss and dementia. The latest aging research has not only drawn connections between the two, but it’s also leading scientists to believe that it may actually be a cause of dementia.
In a 2011 study, scientists found that the greater a person’s hearing loss, the greater their chances for cognitive decline seem to be. Another study in 2013 found that participants with severe hearing loss had a decline in cognitive ability 30-40% faster than those with normal hearing. Researchers found that levels of declining brain function were directly related to the degree of hearing loss.
Which brings us to the question of how can hearing aids help prevent dementia? Hearing aids are the most effective way to treat noise-induced or age-related hearing loss. Some experts believe the treatment of hearing loss in mid-to-late life could prevent 9% of dementia cases globally.
When hearing is poor, the brain must work harder to process sounds, which steals energy from memory and thinking tasks. Hearing aids reduce this strain, easing the cognitive load on the brain.
While I certainly never wanted to wear hearing aids, I take comfort in knowing that they may reduce the risk of battling what my uncle is currently going through. However, for whatever it’s worth, my uncle’s hearing is sharp as a tack without any aids. Go figure!
I’m confident that going in hot pursuit of hearing better will only help me live better.