reduce an individual\u2019s risk of developing dementia by seven per cent<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\nCampbell says there are competing theories on the relationship between hearing loss and dementia.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be that the same neural loss contributing to your dementia diagnosis is also affecting the neural pathways from the ear to the brain and auditory cortex,\u201d she says. \u201cIt could also be that constantly straining to hear results in having to exert more cognitive effort, which might lead to cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campbell also points to social isolation, another risk factor for developing dementia, as a knock-on effect of hearing loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople who can\u2019t hear properly may withdraw from social situations because it\u2019s very awkward to keep asking people to repeat themselves,\u201d she says. \u201cBut we also know that people who maintain social contact tend to be less likely to develop dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campbell says hearing aids are an accessible means of correcting sensory loss, not unlike eyeglasses, but many older adults don\u2019t realize that using them could have far-reaching effects on their overall health and well-being.<\/p>\n
Although researchers have identified many modifiable risk factors for dementia, including physical inactivity, smoking, obesity and social isolation, treating hearing loss is ranked as one of the most impactful in reducing risk. It is also, according to Campbell, one of the easiest factors to address.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther risk factors, like smoking or unhealthy eating, tend to start earlier in adulthood when people may not be thinking about later cognitive preservation,\u201d she says. \u201cBut the need for a hearing aid usually happens in late mid-life or early older age, and it’s a relatively easy fix compared to other lifelong habits.\u201d<\/p>\n
While some people may be hesitant to start using hearing aids due to their perceived association with getting older, Campbell says the benefits should be seriously considered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s important that people realize that hearing aids help more than just your hearing,\u201d she says. \u201cToday\u2019s hearing aids are very discreet, can sync with your phone via Bluetooth and handle background noise a lot better than they used to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campbell says reviewing the known risk factors and taking measures such as treating hearing loss, engaging in regular physical activity and staying socially involved can provide benefits for anyone concerned about cognitive health.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn dementia research, we talk about increasing the health span, or staying healthy for longer,\u201d she says. \u201cThese modifiable risk factors are things we can change that really can reduce our potential for developing dementia and extend our health span.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With Alzheimer\u2019s Awareness Month well underway, a Brock University neuroscientist is calling attention to a preventive step older adults can take to reduce their risk of developing dementia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":107179,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7484,3319,4767,1,38],"tags":[423,522,4703,29],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107177"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107177"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107178,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107177\/revisions\/107178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}