There is a considerable amount of research related to hearing loss effects, including the potential for cognitive decline. Think about the behaviors that people often experience when their hearing starts to decline. There is frustration, fear, fatigue, anger, sadness, denial. Those emotions are often followed by loneliness, isolation, social withdrawal, etc. Those negative feelings are closely related to depression. Depression can end up with serious consequences. Among those may be an appearance of not caring, not thinking, etc. That can appear to be cognitive decline. It may or may not be.

It didn't take long for the hearing aid industry to jump on the bandwagon by promoting the concept that 'untreated' hearing loss leads to cognitive decline. Does it? We really do not know.

Just recently, I had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by Dr. Nicholas Reed PhD AuD from Johns Hopkins. He has done extensive research on this topic and how it relates to life. Also how important it is for people in the medical professions to talk to their patients about hearing and hearing loss. To do that effectively, those professionals need to better understand what goes on when someone who has had typical hearing all their life starts experiencing the emotions mentioned above. Unfortunately, this common issue is not often addressed at primary care appointments unless the patient brings it up. Too often the patient is in denial or affected by the stigmas related to hearing loss and aging and refuses to talk about it.

Hearing loss affects more than 50 million Americans, yet fewer than 20% of that number use hearing technology. Most have never tried it. Yes, there are reasons and cost is a big one. Also, there is data that shows that a person who is unhappy with a hearing aid will tell anyone who will listen how unhelpful they are. While the one who is happy with the help hearing aids provide doesn't say anything because they are hiding it.

Of course not everyone is like this, but it's typical. Does hearing loss cause dementia or cognitive decline? We don't really know for sure. We know there are major life changes when a person cannot hear well. We also know there is help for hearing loss whether it be through hearing aids, cochlear implants, hearing assistive technology or other kinds of treatment that might come in the future, it helps to be open to learning and to the possibilities.