Most people who need hearing aids don’t use one. That includes 70% of older Americans with hearing loss, by some estimates. You might assume those folks are only living with a minor inconvenience, and does it really if younger relatives have to shout when they’re at Grandpa’s house? But untreated hearing loss can affect your health in profound ways—including those you might not associate with hearing at all.
Hearing loss is linked to dementia
Losing your ability to think clearly isn’t an inevitable result of aging. Forgetfulness, impaired thinking, and personality changes are all signs of dementia. Sometimes a medical condition like Alzheimer’s is responsible, but dementia can have many causes—and it has also been linked with untreated hearing loss.
It’s been estimated that hearing loss accounts for 8% of a person’s risk of dementia, making it a bigger contribution than drinking, previous head injuries, depression, or lack of exercise. In part, this may be because it contributes to other triggers, like depression and loneliness.
But hearing aids can help reduce those risks. A recent study found that people who had hearing loss but who also used hearing aids had the same risk of dementia as people with normal hearing. The investigators write: “Of the total association between hearing aid use and all-cause dementia, 1.5% was mediated by reducing social isolation, 2.3% by reducing loneliness, and 7.1% by reducing depressed mood.”
Reduced hearing can impact mental health
The links between hearing loss and mental health are also well established. When you can’t hear well, you may be more likely to avoid social interactions, because it’s hard to communicate. You may specifically avoid crowded situations like parties and restaurants because the background noise of other people talking makes it even harder to understand. And when you’re alone, you may feel really alone—a quiet afternoon may be a completely silent one.
Hearing loss can also lead us to behave in socially awkward ways, like speaking out of turn because you didn’t realize somebody else was speaking. These moments can lead to their own issues, like worrying about how you’ll handle the next social interaction or feeling guilty about something you said or did. As a result, hearing loss tends to exacerbate anxiety and depression, the National Council on Aging explains. Social isolation is also thought to make our brains more sensitive to dopamine, potentially increasing the risk of conditions like schizophrenia.
Being hard of hearing doesn’t mean that you can’t have a social interactions, of course. Many Deaf people use sign language, technology, and a culture that emphasizes visual and other cues to maintain a lively social life. Whether you choose to use hearing aids, pursue social connections in other ways, or both, that’s a conscious adjustment to make in your life.
Hearing loss increases fall risk
Untreated hearing loss is also linked with an increased risk of falls—including the kind that can result in devastating fractures for older adults. There are many factors here, too, including that people who have hearing loss sometimes avoid exercise. You may be less interested in going for walks or jogs if you can’t always hear oncoming cars, for example.
Our ears are part of the system that helps us keep our balance, and some forms of hearing loss may affect balance as well. As we’ve discussed before, fall prevention isn’t just about balance—wearing your glasses so you can see things in your way will probably go further to prevent falls than practicing standing on one leg with your eyes closed. In the same way, hearing aids can help you to be more aware of your surroundings.
If you think you might benefit from hearing aids, ask your doctor or see an audiologist to find out. There are also over-the-counter hearing aids that may be appropriate for some people with mild hearing loss. And if you’ve gotten hearing aids in the past but tend to leave them in a drawer, start wearing them. You have to wear hearing aids consistently—including when you’re alone at home—to get used to them and get the full benefits.
