hearing_loss_dementia

Posted by & filed under Dementia, Friends and Family, Hearing Aid Centers, Hearing Loss, Hearing Technology.

There are a handful of words that most us never hope to hear when it comes to our health. “Cancer” would probably be at the top of that list but “dementia” isn’t far behind.

Dementia is the general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life and Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.

The popular film, The Notebook, details the struggles of a family dealing with their wife’s/mother’s dementia and if you have had the chance to view this movie, you know how heart-wrenching it is to witness even a fictional account of such pain.

It affects us so deeply because the idea that at some point in our lives, our impression of the world would ever be different from reality is flat our terrifying.

The good news is that with advances in medical research, we now know many ways to reduce and minimize our risk factors for developing dementia.

But did you know that one potential way to reduce your risk of dementia is to get your hearing checked?

A 2011 study by Johns Hopkins and National Institute on Aging found that Seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing,

Why is this good news?

Because even though hearing loss affects an estimated 27 million Americans age 50 and up, only 15 percent of those sufferers use hearing aids, according to a press release on the study!

This means that nearly 23 million Americans age 50 and up are living with undiagnosed hearing loss and therefore putting themselves at a greater risk for dementia.

How might it affect the numbers of those suffering from dementia if more people pro-actively addressed their hearing loss?

With all of those things in mind, if you or someone you know is experiencing hearing loss, or if you just want to play it safe, now is the time to take action.

Why put yourself at greater risk and potentially sacrifice the quality of your life when you don’t have to?

Here at Woodard, we refuse to settle for less than the best and we hope you will do the same.