Are you forgetting something? You’re not imagining it. Remembering day-to-day things is becoming harder and harder. Once you become aware of it, memory loss seems to develop quickly. The more aware you are of it, the more debilitating it is. Did you know memory loss is linked to hearing loss?
If you think that this is simply a natural part of getting older, you would be wrong. Losing the ability to process memories always has an underlying reason.
Disregarded hearing loss is frequently that reason. Is your hearing affecting your memory? You can slow the onset of memory loss significantly and possibly even get some back if you know what’s causing it.
This is what you should know.
How untreated hearing loss can result in memory loss
There is a connection. In fact, scientists have found that individuals who have neglected hearing loss are 24% more likely to develop dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other profound cognitive issues.
There are complex interrelated reasons for this.
Mental exhaustion
To begin with, hearing loss causes the brain to work extra hard. You have to struggle to hear things. While this came naturally in the past, it’s now something your brain has to strain to process.
You start to use your deductive reasoning abilities. When trying to hear, you eliminate the unlikely possibilities to figure out what someone most likely said.
Your brain is under added strain because of this. It’s especially stressful when your deductive reasoning abilities lead you astray. The outcome of this can be misconceptions, embarrassment, and sometimes even bitterness.
How we process memory can be seriously impacted by stress. Mental resources that we should be utilizing for memory get tied up when we’re experiencing stress.
And something new starts to take place as hearing loss progresses.
Feeling older
You can begin to “feel older” than you actually are when you’re constantly asking people to repeat what they said and struggling to hear. This can start a downhill spiral in which thoughts of “getting old” when you’re still young become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Social withdrawal
We’re all familiar with that narrative of someone whose loneliness causes them to lose touch with the world around them. Human beings are created to be social. When they’re never with other people, even introverts have a hard time.
A person with untreated hearing loss slowly becomes secluded. Talking on the phone becomes a chore. Social gatherings are less enjoyable because you need to ask people to repeat what they said. You start to be excluded from conversations by friends and family. You may be off in space feeling isolated even when you’re with a room full of people. The radio may not even be there to keep you company over time.
It’s just better to spend more time by yourself. You feel older than others your age and don’t feel like you can relate to them now.
When your brain isn’t regularly stimulated it becomes hard to process new information.
Brain atrophy
A chain reaction commences in the brain when somebody starts to physically or mentally isolate themselves. Regions of the brain are no longer being stimulated. They quit functioning.
There’s a high level of interconnectivity between the different parts of the brain. Hearing is linked to speech, memory, learning, problem-solving, and other skills.
There will normally be a slow spread of this functional atrophy to other brain activity, like hearing, which is also connected to memory.
It’s just like the legs of a person who is bedridden. Muscles become weak when they’re sick in bed over a period of time. They could quit working entirely. They might need to have physical therapy to learn to walk again.
But the brain is different. Once it starts down this slippery slope, it’s difficult to reverse the damage. The brain actually starts to shrink. Brain Scans reveal this shrinkage.
How a hearing aid can prevent memory loss
If you’re reading this, then you’re still in the beginning stages of memory loss. You might not even hardly be aware of it. It isn’t the hearing loss itself that is leading to memory loss, and that’s the good news.
It’s the fact that the hearing loss is neglected.
Research has shown that individuals that have hearing loss who regularly wear their hearing aid have the same risk of developing memory loss as someone of the same age with healthy hearing. The advancement of memory loss was slowed in people who started using their hearing aids after experiencing symptoms.
Stay connected and active as you age. If you want to keep your memory intact you need to understand that it’s closely linked to hearing loss. Don’t ignore your hearing health. Schedule a hearing exam. And if there’s any reason you’re not using your hearing aid, please consult us about solutions – we can help!
