A Silent World: Implications of Deafness on Disease
- Soumya Khadye
- Feb 17, 2024
- 2 min read
The general term is age-related hearing loss (ARHL), and while this is a relatively common issue, did you know that it can potentially cause dementia? And not in the way you'd expect! However, the good news is that overcoming the side-effects of hearing loss is a great way to reduce your risk for disease in the future.
So how does hearing lead to dementia? Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with the damage to the ears themselves, it is about the isolation that it causes. Without being able to communicate with others freely, those who have impaired hearing tend to shy away from social interaction since they find it stressful. They also may refrain from going outside since they can no longer hear familiar auditory cues (cars, signals, other people, etc.) to navigate. Unfortunately, this causes them to feel detached from a community, which in turn can lead to depression, anxiety, and stress. Not only that, the resulting lack of stimulation to the brain will lead to accelerated shrinkage, a signature mark of dementia.
Once again, this cascading effect can be slowed/prevented through a few simple practices. But first, an important note: there is nothing wrong with being hard of hearing! Even if it takes time to communicate, and it seems frustrating, others do not find it irritating or inconvenient. Those who truly care are more than ready to find new ways to maintain their relationship with you! Here are some ways you can combat isolation and mental degradation:
Get hearing aids if possible. There are countless people who tend to avoid treatment because it is too costly/seems unnecessary. It is always worth it in the long run, so if there is a chance to improve your hearing, take it!
Be more social! Try to have face-to-face conversations and interact with others as much as you can! Doing so will help learning to lip read and interpret facial expressions in the case they do not know sign language.
Learn something new. Trying out different activities will help stimulate your brain more as well as keep you entertained! If you want to start with simple games, check out the resources page for some fun websites!
Exercise. Preferably outside, if possible. This will still engage your other senses and change up your environment, which many find relaxing. You may also refer to the yoga videos found here on the resources page.
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