Healthy Seniors: Hearing loss can raise risks for cognitive decline, new data shows

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - We are entering that season where social schedules fill up and holiday parties begin.

With lots of people in group settings, many older adults may have issues hearing well in that environment. And now may be a good time to get your hearing checked if you fall into that category. New research shows a strong link between untreated hearing loss and dementia.

"According to the National Council on Aging, mild hearing loss doubles the risk of dementia and moderate hearing loss triples it," says Babette Grossman, a hearing instrument specialist at HearUSA.

Breaking the silence. It's hard for some to admit their hearing is declining.

"Hearing loss is actually detrimental because it increases your cognitive load," says Grossman. "So individuals with hearing loss often need to expend more cognitive effort to understand speech and process auditory information."

However, addressing the problem early can make all the difference. Hearing aids reduced the rate of cognitive decline in older adults at high risk of dementia by almost 50% over a three-year period, according to the National Institutes of Health.

"Signs of hearing loss might be some muffled or other sounds, trouble understanding words, especially when there is background noise present," says Grossman.

Untreated hearing loss results in the brain processing less sound, which leads to a decline in memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.

HearUSA does offer free consultations if you or someone you know is looking for an appointment. More information can be found here.