Are you forgetting something? You aren’t imagining it. It really is becoming harder to remember things in daily life. Memory loss seems to advance rather quickly once it’s noticed. The more you are aware of it, the more debilitating it becomes. Did you know memory loss is connected to hearing loss?
And no, this isn’t simply a natural occurrence of getting older. Losing the ability to process memories always has a root cause.
Ignored hearing loss is often that reason. Is your hearing affecting your ability to remember? By determining the cause of your memory loss, you can take steps to slow its advancement substantially and, in many instances, bring your memory back.
This is what you need to know.
How memory loss can be triggered by untreated hearing loss
They’re not unrelated. In fact, researchers have found that those who have neglected hearing loss are 24% more likely to experience dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other profound cognitive problems.
There are complicated interrelated reasons for this.
Mental fatigue
To begin with, hearing loss causes the brain to over-work. You have to struggle to listen to something. While this came naturally in the past, it’s now something your mind needs to strain to process.
It becomes necessary to activate deductive reasoning. When attempting to listen, you eliminate the unlikely possibilities to figure out 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 abilities it can be really stressful. This can result in embarrassment, misconceptions, and even bitterness.
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 dealing with stress.
And something new begins to happen as hearing loss worsens.
Feeling older
You can start to “feel older” than you actually are when you’re constantly asking people to repeat what they said and straining to hear. If you’re constantly thinking that you’re getting old, it can become a self fulfilling prophecy.
Social withdrawal
We’ve all heard the trope of someone who’s so lonely that they start to lose touch with reality. Human beings are created to be social. Even people who are introverted have difficulty when they’re never around other people.
A person with neglected hearing loss slowly becomes secluded. Talking on the phone becomes a chore. Social get-togethers are not so enjoyable because you have to ask people to repeat what they said. You begin to be excluded from conversations by family and friends. You may be off in space feeling isolated even when you’re with a room full of people. In the long run, you may not even have the radio to keep you company.
Being on your own just seems simpler. You feel older than people your age and don’t feel like you can relate to them now.
When your brain isn’t frequently stimulated it becomes difficult to process new information.
Brain atrophy
As somebody who is coping with untreated hearing loss starts to isolate themselves either physically or just mentally, a chain reaction commences in the brain. There’s no more stimulation going to regions of the brain. They stop working.
Our brain functions are very interconnected. Skills like problem solving, learning, speech, and memory are all linked to hearing.
There will usually 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 somebody is bedridden for an extended time. Muscles get weak when they’re sick in bed over a period of time. They could possibly just stop working completely. Learning to walk again could require physical therapy.
But with the brain, this damage is a great deal more difficult to rehabilitate. The brain actually begins to shrink. Brain Scans show this shrinkage.
How a hearing aid can prevent memory loss
You’re probably still in the early stages of hearing loss if you’re reading this. You might not even barely notice it. The good news is that it isn’t the hearing loss that contributes to memory loss.
It’s untreated hearing loss.
In these studies, those who were using their hearing aids regularly were no more likely to have memory loss than a person of a similar age who has healthy hearing. Individuals who began wearing hearing aids after symptoms appeared were able to slow the progression substantially.
As you age, try to remain connected and active. If you want to keep your memory intact you need to recognize that it’s closely linked to hearing loss. Don’t disregard your hearing health. Have your hearing checked. And if there’s any reason you’re not using your hearing aid, please speak with us about solutions – we can help!