{"id":937,"date":"2020-10-16T00:21:56","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T00:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/?p=937"},"modified":"2020-10-16T00:21:56","modified_gmt":"2020-10-16T00:21:56","slug":"how-does-hearing-loss-affect-the-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/how-does-hearing-loss-affect-the-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does Hearing Loss Affect the Brain?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Untreated hearing loss comes with a number of side effects, none more serious than its effect on your brain. Research out of John Hopkins found that even mild hearing loss <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/wellness-and-prevention\/the-hidden-risks-of-hearing-loss\" title=\"The Hidden Risks of Hearing Loss | Johns Hopkins\">can increase your risk of cognitive decline<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Cognitive Decline &amp; Hearing Loss<\/h2>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hearing Loss Effects on the Brain\" src=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/photo-1551104083-c046edeed47e-256x256.jpg\" alt=\"Man stares out at lake\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" class=\"alignright wp-image-938 size-thumbnail\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Frank Lin conducted a study of 639 adults over a 12-year period. He found that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mild hearing loss doubled their risk of dementia<\/li>\n<li>Moderate hearing loss tripled their risk of dementia<\/li>\n<li>Severe hearing loss made them five times more likely to develop dementia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>He explains, \u201cBrain scans show us that hearing loss may contribute to a faster rate of atrophy in the brain.\u201d In addition to the changes in the brain, untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation. Removing yourself from others and not engaging in conversations can also contribute to dementia.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to dementia, untreated hearing loss can also lead to balance issues. As you walk, your ears are constantly picking up signals. Hearing loss forces your brain to work harder to pick up and process sounds. \u201cThis subconscious multitasking may interfere with some of the mental processing needed to walk safely,\u201d says Lin.<\/p>\n<h2>Benefit of Hearing Aids<\/h2>\n<p>While a study on <a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/hearing-aids\/\">how well hearing aids reduce these risks<\/a> is still in development, Lin notes, \u201cWhat we do know is that there\u2019s no downside to using hearing aids. They help most people who try them. And in those people, they can make all the difference in the world\u2014allowing people to reengage with friends and family and to be more involved again.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Hearing Aid Myths<\/h2>\n<p>There are 48 million people in the U.S. with hearing loss and only one in seven choose to use a hearing aid. Lin suggests this is because of these popular myths.<\/p>\n<h3>My Hearing Is Not Bad Enough for Hearing Aids<\/h3>\n<p>Most people wait 10 years before <a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/hearing-loss\/\">seeking help for their hearing loss<\/a>. The best treatment outcomes are for those who are proactive and seek help early.<\/p>\n<h3>Hearing Aids Make Me Feel Old<\/h3>\n<p>While you may think wearing a hearing aid makes you seem old, it can help you connect with loves ones and keep your brain healthy so you can stay young at heart. Sitting alone and missing out on activities you once enjoyed is far worse.<\/p>\n<h3>Hearing Aids Are Ugly<\/h3>\n<p>The days of large, clunky devices are over. Modern hearing aids are created with design in mind. These sleek and elegant electronic devices come in a wide range of styles; some are so small they are practically invisible.<\/p>\n<p>Now is the time to do something about your hearing loss. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a hearing professional, contact Valley Audiology today.<\/p>\n<h3>Learn More About Hearing Loss<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/how-to-communicate-better-with-hearing-loss\/\">October is Audiology Awareness Month<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/how-are-tinnitus-and-hearing-loss-connected\/\">How Are Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Connected?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/remote-work-with-hearing-loss\/\">Remote Work with Hearing Loss<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Untreated hearing loss comes with a number of side effects, none more serious than its effect on your brain. Research out of John Hopkins found that even mild hearing loss can increase your risk of cognitive decline. Cognitive Decline &amp; Hearing Loss Dr. Frank Lin conducted a study of 639 adults over a 12-year period&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":938,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"(925) 676-8101 | Untreated hearing loss comes with a number of side effects, none more serious than its effect on your brain.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","locid":"","rating":""},"categories":[10,13,14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/937"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=937"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/937\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valleyaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}