Hearing and Brain

Hearing and brain function are deeply connected. When hearing is impaired, your brain has to work harder to process sound—often at the expense of memory, focus, and decision-making clarity. 

And this is not news. Back in 2011, researchers at Johns Hopkins already discovered a 500% higher risk of dementia for those with severe hearing loss, 300% for moderate, and even just mild, the risk is up by 200%*.

Recent studies at Johns Hopkins also confirmed that, compared to people with normal hearing, prevalence of dementia among those with hearing loss is 61% higher** and hearing aids can slow cognitive decline by 50% for people at risk***.”

Why Early Detection Matters

“Why should I do it now? I can still live with it.” That’s the first impression of some of you. You must know one thing, however, hearing changes, and it only changes for the worse. When it comes to bringing sounds back to the brain, we’re talking about re-training and re-adapting to those long lost sounds. The sooner hearing loss is identified, the easier it is to treat. Early intervention can:

• Slows the progression of hearing decline
• Keep the brain engagedPrevent further hearing decline
• Reduce the risk of cognitive decline
• Stay socially connectedImprove communication and relationships
• Improve emotional well-beingRestore confidence in social settings
• Support long-term brain health

Don’t wait until hearing loss is affecting every part of your life. A full evaluation today could mean a better quality of life tomorrow.

*:Lin, F. R., Metter, E. J., O’Brien, R. J., Resnick, S. M., Zonderman, A. B., & Ferrucci, L. (2011). Hearing loss and incident dementia. Archives of neurology, 68(2), 214–220. https://doi.org/10.1001/archneurol.2010.362

**: Huang, A. R., Jiang, K., Lin, F. R., Deal, J. A., & Reed, N. S. (2023). Hearing loss and dementia prevalence in older adults in the US. JAMA, 329(2), 171–173. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.20954

***: Lin, F. R., et al. (2023). Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the USA (ACHIEVE): A multicentre, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 402(10404), 786–797. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01406-X