Basically, regardless of hearing or dementia it’s about being lonely you’re 100% correct if you don’t have anybody to talk to or share life with which is unfortunate because a lot of people don’t really care about other people. I have a great circle of friends and family and if this does go south quickly, I would hope to get to quickly implants faster than later. I do know that they were talking about the benefits of the pros and cons between hearing aids and CI’s and the CIA’s went out because all the hearing aids do is make everything louder not clear which I can attest to that with my hearing is really bad they don’t do anything. I will continue to reach out to you been a blessing in my life. Thank you.

Hello Beckyseattle, Tinea and others in this discussion. As mentioned, hearing loss is a difficult thing to deal with. It's also quite common, especially as we age. Did you know that close to 17% of the population of the United States has hearing loss? It's important to know that many children are affected as well, and it is a growing problem among young adults due to noise exposure. The fact that it happens more frequently as we age adds to stigmas that tend to surround it. That keeps many people from doing something about it. They don't want to 'be old', as if not doing anything would make a difference.

Typically, most hearing loss happens gradually over years. In many cases of progressive hearing loss, the individual who has it is less aware of it than others around them. Many also deny it. Also, those false stigmas that associate hearing loss and deafness with lack of intelligence take a toll.

Of course, it's different when hearing loss happens suddenly. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is far less common. According to most research literature, the most hopeful method of reversing sudden hearing loss is with steroids that are given within a few days of onset. If that doesn't happen, or if the steroids don't work, cochlear implants may be a possibility.

Cochlear implants were considered experimental procedures 30 years ago. Being experimental, they were not covered by insurance or Medicare. Since the early 2000s, they have been proven to be effective and providers have been much more likely to cover costs.

It is true that people are sometimes denied coverage. However, when one has gone through the proper diagnostic procedure and has been determined to be a candidate for a CI from a reputable CI center, the surgery center AND the manufacturer of the chosen CI brand will help negotiate financial support. It's a process and it may take some time. In some instances, it is approved quickly. There are some variables out there that we have little control over.

Hearing loss is frustrating. People who have it get cut off from people who lack the patience to help them. This is often because those people don't understand what happens. They may think we are not paying attention. Perhaps they think we don't care or are unable to think clearly. This is complicated further by the reality that the hard of hearing person doesn't know how to help themselves very well. Everyone gets stressed out. And, the person with hearing loss gets exhausted trying to participate in communication. Auditory fatigue is real.

I highly recommend becoming a member of The Hearing Loss Association of America. If there is a chapter of HLAA in your area, attend their meetings. HLAA is primarily a peer support group that shares information about hearing loss from the bottom up. If there isn't a chapter of HLAA in your area then think about starting one. All chapters begin when a few people with hearing loss come together to talk about it, and begin to realize that learning more about it is a key to managing it. Online discussion is good too, but the in-person discussions are amazing. There is lots of information on the organization's website. http://www.hearingloss.org

Through meeting other people with hearing loss in person, feelings and frustrations are validated. There are millions of others who 'get it' and will talk about it. HLAA just held a national convention last month. Presentations are all held in rooms where 'communication access' is provided. They are captioned, looped, and some have interpreters. To be honest here, few of the hard of hearing population need interpreters as they don't use American Sign Language (ASL). Technology is the key to communication access for most of us.

Check out the hearing loss support group on Mayo Clinic Connect. Many things I've mentioned in this post are discussed.

Does hearing loss cause dementia? Probably not, although some research indicates that people with untreated progressive hearing loss become socially isolated. Isolation of a formerly social person can easily lead to depression, and not caring about doing anything socially. When we don't care anymore, we appear less smart.

It's all connected. How can we 'disconnect it?