Woman investigates link between hearing and brain function

Hearing Aids + Your Brain

You won’t “mind” this news about better hearing and improved cognition!

Does hearing aid use help your brain? A growing amount of research associates hearing technology with improved cognition and slowed or decreased risk of cognitive decline. Get the latest on research that supports your better-hearing health — and your mind.

 

Have you heard? Yet another study links hearing aid use to reduced risk of cognitive decline!

We’ve long talked about connections between hearing and the brain. They work together to help keep you empowered and engaged, so it’s no wonder that hearing difficulties could go hand in hand with cognitive problems.

The good news? An increasing volume of research links hearing loss treatment to improved brain function or reduced risk of cognitive impairment.

A University of Melbourne study published in early 2020, for example, suggests that “more frequent use …

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Healthy Hearing = Healthy Brain

Dementia a Real Risk With Hearing Loss

If you think of hearing loss as just an inconsequential part of getting older, you’re not alone.

The truth is, however, that the condition can strike even the youngest among us — more than one in 1,000 babies screened has some form of hearing impairment, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data — and it can trigger other health problems, too.

Take cognitive decline, for example, which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Research has long pointed to links between hearing loss and reduced brain functioning over time, but the statistics may surprise you.

Consider these startling findings:

On average, seniors with hearing loss experience significantly reduced cognitive function 3.2 years before their normal-hearing counterparts. Hearing-impaired seniors experience thinking and memory problems 30 to 40 percent faster than their normal-hearing counterparts. Older adults with a hearing disability may lose …

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10 Celebrities With Hearing Loss

10 Celebrities With Hearing Loss

What You and Rob Lowe Might Have in Common

Hearing loss affects everyone — even the rich and famous. The hearing loss issues of these celebrities shine a light on the different ways you can lose your hearing and how to overcome it.

Rob Lowe

Lowe lost his hearing to undiagnosed mumps when he was a baby. Mumps is a viral infection that frequently causes hearing loss by inflicting damage to the cochlea (inner-ear organ of hearing). “Really loud restaurants drive me ballistic,” Lowe told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I live in a mono world. I wish I could [hear in] stereo.’’

Some hearing aid styles offer directional sound for 360° hearing, feedback cancellation, and enhanced noise reduction for noisy or windy environments to help you enjoy your restaurant experience.

Stephen Colbert

Though there’s nothing funny about hearing loss, Colbert is able to accept and even …

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Hearing Loss Affects Mental and Social Health

Hearing Loss Has a Negative Impact on Our Mental and Social Health

Hearing loss isn’t often thought of as a condition that can harm our mental health, but research has shown that it can make an impact on our self-confidence and relationships with others — our social health, in other words — in ways that impact our mental well-being.

Several large-scale studies have revealed how hearing loss might affect our mental health.

A National Council on the Aging survey of 2,300 adults (and more than 2,000 of their accompanying loved ones) found that those with untreated hearing loss are more likely to report feelings of depression, anxiety, and paranoia; and they are less likely to participate in social activities than those who wear hearing aids. These depressed or anxious feelings become more severe as the individual’s hearing loss becomes more severe.

It’s common for someone with even a mild hearing loss (a loss in the ability to hear …

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Man in hospital bed takes care of his hearing aids

8 Hearing Aid Tips for Hospital Stays

Checking into a hospital can seem a little stressful, making it all the more important to feel empowered, alert, and engaged with the help of your hearing aids. Help protect them during your inpatient visit with these handy tips.

It can be easy to lose track of your hearing aids when getting inpatient care at a busy medical facility, so we’re sharing eight tips to help you protect your tech and continue hearing your best.

Use a Container Keep a personally labeled container on the nightstand for your hearing aids when not in use. And remember: Hearing-aid dryers and dehumidifiers can double as storage, too! Bypass the Food Tray It might seem convenient to set your hearing devices on your food tray, but they can get damaged or lost that way. Better to keep them in their designated container. Take Them Out If staff comes to change the bedsheets …

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