Feel like you may be forgetting something crucial? You aren’t imagining it. Remembering day-to-day things is becoming harder and harder. Once you notice it, loss of memory seems to develop quickly. It becomes more incapacitating the more you become aware of it. Did you know memory loss is connected to hearing loss?
If you believe 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.
Ignored hearing loss is frequently that reason. Is your ability to remember being impacted by hearing loss? You can slow down the development of memory loss substantially and maybe even get some back if you know the cause.
Here are some facts to think about.
How neglected hearing loss can result in memory loss
There is a relationship. As a matter of fact, scientists have found that those who have untreated hearing loss are 24% more likely to develop dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other profound cognitive issues.
The reasons for this higher risk are multi-fold.
Mental fatigue
Initially, the brain will have to work overtime to overcome hearing loss. Listening to things takes additional effort. Now, your brain has to work hard where in the past it just happened naturally.
It becomes necessary to utilize deductive reasoning. When attempting to listen, you eliminate the unlikely choices to determine what someone most likely said.
Your brain is under added strain as a result. And when you’re unable to accurately use those deductive reasoning skills it can be especially stressful. This can result in embarrassment, misconceptions, and even resentment.
Stress has a significant impact on how we process memory. Mental resources that we should be using for memory get tied up when we’re experiencing stress.
As the hearing loss advances, something new takes place.
Feeling older
You can start to “feel older” than you are when you’re constantly asking people to repeat what they said and struggling to hear. If you’re constantly thinking that you’re getting old, it can come to be a self fulfilling prophecy.
Social isolation
We’ve all heard the trope of somebody who’s so lonely that they start to lose touch with reality. Humans are social creatures. Even introverts have difficulty when they’re never with others.
A person with disregarded hearing loss slowly becomes isolated. It’s harder to have phone conversations. Social gatherings are not so enjoyable because you have to ask people to repeat what they said. Friends and family start to exclude you from conversations. You may be off in space feeling separated even when you’re with a room full of people. The radio might not even be there to keep you company after a while.
Being on your own just seems easier. You feel like you can’t relate to your friends anymore because you feel older than them even though you’re not.
This regular lack of mental stimulation makes it more difficult for the brain to process new information.
Brain atrophy
As someone with untreated hearing loss starts to isolate themselves either physically or even mentally, a chain reaction commences in the brain. There’s no more stimulation going to parts of the brain. When this happens, those parts of the brain atrophy and stop working.
Our brain functions are extremely coordinated. Skills like problem solving, learning, speech, and memory are all related to hearing.
There will normally be a slow spread of this functional atrophy to other brain functions, like hearing, which is also linked to memory.
It’s similar to how the legs become atrophied when someone is bedridden for a long period of time. Muscles become weak when they’re sick in bed over a period of time. They could possibly just quit working completely. They may need to have physical therapy to learn to walk again.
But when it comes to the brain, this damage is a lot more challenging to rehabilitate. The brain actually begins to shrink. Brain Scans reveal this shrinkage.
How a hearing aid can prevent memory loss
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably still in the early stages of memory loss. It might be barely noticeable. The good news is that it’s not the hearing loss that contributes to memory loss.
It’s neglected hearing loss.
In this research, people who were using their hearing aids on a regular basis were no more likely to have memory loss than someone around the same age who doesn’t have hearing loss. The progression of memory loss was slowed in individuals who started wearing their hearing aids after experiencing symptoms.
As you get older, try to stay connected and active. Keep your memories, memory loss is linked to hearing loss. Don’t dismiss your hearing health. Schedule a hearing test. And consult us about a solution if you’re not using your hearing aid for some reason.
