Hearing Loss Possible Warning Sign of Having Dementia, Study Says

Dementia is one of the biggest neurological conditions globally. In the present day, there are 50 million individuals who are diagnosed with the disease. In 2050, this exact population is expected to increase, reaching three times the current records. The brain-based disease is frequently overlooked by many, but experts already consider dementia as a global emergency over the coming years. With the increase of cases and the lack of knowledge about dementia, many studies are now being developed to ease the spike of the disease in worldwide records through formulating early detection technologies and various treatment methods.

Dementia and Hearing Loss: Is There a Link?

Loss of Hearing Possible Warning Sign of Having Dementia, Study Says

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Along with the development of solutions against dementia, there is also research to identify the disease in its early stage, or even if a person is at risk. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, one symptom could tell if a person is prone to having a neurological illness. Unfortunately, the same symptom is also a clue that the person might be diagnosed with a five times probability than the standard chances.

Dementia is a collective term for many diseases that target the functions found in the brain. Many of the global population are aware dementia exists, but few are aware of what could heighten the risks of the disease and the early markers that show if a person will be diagnosed with it.

Johns Hopkins Medicine expert Frank Lin led the study on defining the potential factors that would give an early warning from impending dementia. Based on the study, hearing loss is among the strongest symptoms that were analyzed. The study was made possible through the help of over 600 adults observed in the span of 12 years.

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Hearing Loss Heightens the Risk of Being Diagnosed with Dementia in the Future

When the data was gathered and compared, the experts found that a mild hearing loss in an individual is a sign of having dementia in the future. According to Best Life, the information collected from the participants is that having a hearing loss doubles the chances of a person being diagnosed with a neurological illness. Having a moderate and severe hearing loss could lead to 3 and 5 times of getting dementia, respectively.

Hearing loss and dementia have been a topic in previous neurological studies. However, the main aspect between the correlation of the two distinct illnesses is challenging to prove due to the limiting information of dementia itself and the lack of scientific evidence to prove the link of hearing loss to brain disease. To define the connection between dementia and loss of hearing, research was conducted to examine 17 studies on the matter.

By categorizing every finding from each of the papers, the new study concluded a theory that would explain how the disappearance of hearing senses is a huge risk of being diagnosed with dementia. Based on the study, the loss of the specified sense increases the cognitive load, and when this triggers most of the cognitive resources to be diverted into auditory processing. Among the cognitive processes that impact hearing loss is working memory. The study was published in the journal Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, titled "Hearing loss as a risk factor for dementia: A systematic review."