Page 17 - Mid Valley Times 6-3-21 E-edition

By Ro Linscheid
Have you been say- ing “what” more than you used to during con- versations or have you been asking people to repeat themselves? This may be a sign of hear- ing loss. It is a fact that more than 48 million Americans may have an increased risk of cog- nitive problems due to hearing loss. Statistics say that by the age of 70 two- thirds of Ameri- cans have some hearing loss.
“The general per- ception is that hear- ing loss is a relatively inconsequential part of aging,” says Frank Lin, an otologist and epidemiologist at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. He goes on to suggest “hearing loss may play a much more important role in brain health then we previ- ously thought.”
There are a number of theories on how hear- ing loss can affect cog- nitive function.
There are studies on treating early hear- ing loss aggressively to minimize the pos- sibility of experiencing age-related cognitive decline. Hearing loss is not a sole factor in cognitive decline; how- ever, the statistics show it can have an impact. Brain scans reveal that people with hearing loss have less gray mat- ter in the part of their brain that receives and processes sound from the ears. This decreases what the brain receives
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and reduces the pro- cessing. The “cause and effect” part of why this happens will take more years of study.
Hearing loss can cause the brain to have to work harder to pro- cess what is being said around you. If you are working so hard to make out what is being said there is little ener- gy left to process these words into memory. Hearing impairment can cause cognitive slide and the loss of so- cial function. This can cause loneliness, which has been proven to lead to cognitive decline.
Hearing loss should not be considered an inconsequential part of aging. It may have some serious long- term consequences to healthy brain functions. It is important for you to talk to your doc- tor about how well you are hearing. Sometimes hearing improvement is as easy as clearing out the earwax for better sound.
Staff at Sierra View Homes Retirement Community, is trained to pay attention to the people who have hear- ing loss. The caregivers should stand in front of the resident and make sure the resident can see their mouth as they talk to the resident. This has been difficult with the masks we are wearing.
Activity programs have seats up front for those who need to be close to hear everything and we are trying out some personal ampli- fiers as well as using a sound system to see if it can boost hearing. Some are bothered by a hearing aid in their ear and are willing to ac- cept an amplifier when needed.
If you sense that you have some loss of hear- ing, it is important to talk to your doctor and to get hearing assis- tance. Hearing loss is not the only factor in cognitive decline but it can speed it along. Many people may be embarrassed by the use of hearing aids. How- ever, isn’t it more em- barrassing if you could prevent some cognitive struggles as you try to process what is being said? The science of hearing aids has ad- vanced so that the new- er aids are hardly no- ticeable. There are many types of aids or ampli- fiers for hearing on the market right now. If
you have some trouble
hearing, take action to
be the best you can be.
Thursday, June 3, 2021 | A17 | Mid Valley TiMes
Health &Fitness
Health &Fitness
Good Hearing Means Better Brain Health
Cristina Lopez, PA-C
30 years providing health services
Dr. Emerson Walls, D.O.
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