Are you forgetting something? It’s not your imagination. Remembering day-to-day things is getting more and more difficult. Memory loss seems to develop rather quickly once it’s detected. It becomes more debilitating the more you become aware of it. The majority of people don’t realize that there’s a connection between loss of memory and loss of hearing.
And no, this isn’t just a natural part of aging. Losing the ability to process memories always has an underlying reason.
For many individuals that cause is neglected hearing loss. Is your ability to remember being impacted by hearing loss? You can delay the onset of memory loss significantly and possibly even get some back if you are aware of what’s causing it.
Here’s what you should know.
How memory loss can be triggered by untreated hearing loss
There is a relationship. In fact, scientists have found that individuals with neglected hearing loss are 24% more likely to experience dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other profound cognitive problems.
The reasons for this increased risk are multi-fold.
Mental fatigue
To begin with, hearing loss causes the brain to work extra hard. Listening to things takes additional effort. Now, your brain has to work hard where before it just occurred naturally.
It becomes necessary to activate deductive reasoning. You attempt to figure out what people probably said by eliminating unlikely possibilities.
Your brain is under additional strain because of this. And when you can’t accurately use those deductive reasoning abilities it can be particularly stressful. This can result in embarrassment, misunderstandings, and even bitterness.
How we process memory can be significantly impacted by stress. When we’re stressed, we’re tying up brain resources that we should be using for memory.
As the hearing loss progresses, something new occurs.
Feeling older
You can begin 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 solitude
We’ve all heard the trope of somebody who’s so lonely that they start to lose touch with reality. Human beings are meant to be social. When they’re never with other people, even introverts struggle.
A person with disregarded hearing loss gradually becomes isolated. It’s harder to have phone conversations. Social gatherings are less enjoyable because you need to ask people to repeat what they said. You begin to be excluded from conversations by friends and family. Even when you’re in a setting with a lot of people, you may space out and feel secluded. The radio might not even be there to keep you company over time.
Being alone just seems simpler. You feel older than people your age and don’t feel that you can relate to them anymore.
This frequent lack of mental stimulus makes it harder for the brain to process new information.
Brain atrophy
As somebody with untreated hearing loss starts to isolate themselves either physically or even mentally, a chain reaction initiates in the brain. There’s no more stimulation going to regions of the brain. When this occurs, those parts of the brain atrophy and quit functioning.
Our brain functions are very interconnected. Hearing is connected with speech, memory, learning, problem-solving, and other abilities.
This loss of function in one region of the brain can gradually spread to other brain functions including hearing. Memory loss is linked to this process.
It’s analogous to how the legs become atrophied when a person is bedridden for a long time. When they’re sick in bed for an extended time, leg muscles become really weak. They could stop working altogether. They might need to get physical therapy to learn to walk again.
But the brain is different. Once it starts down this slippery slope, it’s hard to undo the damage. The brain actually begins to shrink. Brain Scans demonstrate this shrinkage.
How a hearing aid can stop memory loss
If you’re reading this, then you’re still in the early stages of memory loss. It may be barely noticeable. The great news is that it’s not the hearing loss that contributes to memory loss.
It’s the fact that the hearing loss is untreated.
Studies have revealed that people with hearing loss who regularly wear their hearing aid have the same chance of developing memory loss as somebody of the same age with healthy hearing. Those who started using hearing aids after symptoms began were able to delay the progression considerably.
Stay connected and active as you get older. If you want to keep your memory intact you need to understand that it’s closely related to hearing loss. Don’t disregard your hearing health. Have your hearing tested. And get in touch with us about a solution if you’re not wearing your hearing aid for some reason.
