Julie Raney is a certified and licensed audiologist. She has a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Master’s Degree in Audiology from Idaho State University. She has worked as a clinical audiologist in Colorado since 2005. She specializes in hearing amplification for adults and delivers her services in both English and Sign Language.

Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease

Currently, there is a great need for more research about Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common type of dementia that people can have. Alzheimer’s disease often affects people who are over the age of 65 years old, though there are growing numbers of people who experience the disease at earlier and earlier ages. The “number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65,” according to The National Institute on Aging. The Institute further suggests that “About one-third of all people age 85 and older may have Alzheimer’s disease.” There are in fact younger people who experience what is called early on-set Alzheimer’s, affecting people as early as 30 years old. In the United States, early-onset Alzheimer’s may be affecting around 200,000 people who are under the age of 65.

A Potential Link Between Hearing Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease

While researchers investigate the relationships between aging and Alzheimer’s disease, there are also researchers investigating the links between dementia and hearing loss. Studies that have been conducted have found that there are links between untreated hearing loss and dementia (Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia).

One study conducted in 2011 at Johns Hopkins tracked nearly 2,000 people who were around the age of 77 years old. Following these people for 12 to 18 years, researchers were trying to understand all of the potential relationships between hearing loss and cognitive decline. While they did not find anything that would allow them to say that hearing loss is definitely related to, or causes, Alzheimer’s disease, they found many interesting connections. “People with hearing loss were 24% more likely to have Alzheimer’s,” they wrote in the study. They write later in that “the worse the hearing loss was, the more likely the person was to develop dementia.”

Correlations between Untreated Hearing Loss and Dementia

There are several reasons that the researchers think that there is a relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s disease, in particular. The brain goes through many changes when a person is experiencing hearing loss. When you lose your hearing, the brain works extra hard to compensate for the loss. The cognitive overload as the brain devotes energy and attention to process auditory stimuli can be quite exhausting: exhausting energy devoted to hearing can negatively impact other cognitive functions.

Seeking Treatment for Hearing Loss

Whether we are in the midst of World Alzheimer’s Month or not, it is really important to pay attention to your hearing health habits. Making an appointment with your local audiologist in order to have a safe and non-invasive hearing test is a great first step in establishing healthy hearing. At New Leaf Hearing Clinic, our team will work with you to understand your current hearing levels and to discuss any hearing assistance that may be beneficial for you—and that might include getting you hearing aids. They come in many shapes, sizes, colors, and power levels and so you are sure to find one that perfectly suits your needs. Regardless of what your hearing assistance needs are, regular visits to your audiologist are an important step in tracking your hearing levels, which can in fact come in handy in your larger efforts to stay on top of the overall effects of physical and cognitive decline.

It is always important to protect the hearing you do have. Taking small measures every day to ensure that you are not damaging your hearing may go a long way in protecting you from cognitive decline and from Alzheimer’s disease. It is a good idea to buy earplugs that you can keep on you or in your car, that you can wear to work, and that take to loud events such as music events or even the movie theater. Remember to always cover your ears when loud sirens, such as police vehicles, ambulances, and fire trucks pass by. One big thing you can do every day is turn your headphone volume down to 60% and only listen for a maximum of 60 minutes a day.

Safe hearing habits are part of an important effort to maintain an overall healthy body and mind.

New Leaf Hearing Clinic

Have you experienced changes in your hearing? There’s no time like the present to seek a hearing test and treatment. At New Leaf Hearing Clinic, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more!