The Family Hearing Center November 2023 E-Newsletter

The Family Hearing Center

TLC

The Treatment and Learning Centers

THE TREATMENT AND LEARNING CENTERS

Even Minor Hearing Loss Can Lead to Cognitive Decline

The Family Hearing Center

TLC

The Treatment and Learning Centers

For the 48 million Americans who experience hearing loss,1 the dangers of cognitive impairment have been well known for years. The link between hearing loss and cognition has been well established through numerous studies. Until now, experts believed that cognitive decline did not occur until hearing loss reached an advanced stage. However, a recent study shows that cognition may be affected much earlier than previously thought, meaning even individuals with mild hearing loss may be affected.

The long-accepted definition of hearing loss has centered around an inability to hear sounds that are quieter than 25 decibels (dB)—about the sound of a whisper. This threshold has always been arbitrary, and many experts feel that it needs to be redefined. A recent study provides even more incentive to revise the definition.

Despite evidence of the link between hearing and cognition, scientists don’t know whether hearing loss causes cognitive impairment. Experts theorize that the mental energy required to decipher words reduces cognitive activity in other critical areas like memory, but further studies are needed.

Justin S. Golub, M.D., lead researcher and a physician in New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, assembled a team to examine data from 6,500 study participants who took a series of hearing and cognition tests. To their surprise, researchers found “clinically significant” levels of cognitive decline in people with mild hearing loss between 15 and 20 dB—a measurement considered “good but not perfect” hearing by many physicians.2 These results offer the first substantial evidence that the link between hearing and cognition occurs earlier than previously believed. The implications are profound. Because untreated hearing loss is associated with several serious health conditions, mild hearing loss might not be considered serious—but if cognitive decline is developing earlier than anticipated, the patient’s risk for associated health problems is greater. Early detection and treatment are key to preventing many of these side effects.

Think you may have hearing loss?

Schedule a hearing screening with The Family Hearing Center by calling (301) 738-1415.

1

Hearing Loss Association of America. (n.d.). Hearing Loss Facts and Statistics. https://www.hearingloss.org/wp-content/uploads/HLAA_HearingLoss_Facts_Statistics.pdf?pdf=FactStats

2

Justin S. Golub, M. (2020). Association of Subclinical hearing loss with cognitive performance. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2755646

1390 Piccard Dr. Suite 120, Rockville, MD 20850 | Phone: (301) 738-1415

How Dental Health Affects Your Hearing

The Family Hearing Center

TLC

The Treatment and Learning Centers

Who doesn’t love that mad dash to the drugstore to buy floss in preparation for your semiannual dentist appointment? And after all that work, all you get is a lecture about how flossing once every six months won’t fix your plaque problem. Good news! Now, you can get the same sermon about the importance of good oral hygiene from none other than your audiologist.

You may be surprised to hear this, but keeping a healthy mouth can also preserve the health of your hearing. Seem like a stretch? Not when you consider this: Your mouth is full of bacteria – some good, some bad. When you get an infection in your mouth, such as gingivitis, harmful bacteria enter your bloodstream and make their way to your ears and brain. This can lead to inflammation and narrowing of the blood vessels in your ears.

Your ears and brain work together to allow you to experience the sense of sound. Your outer ear collects sound waves and channels them through the ear canal to the eardrum. The eardrum converts the sound waves into vibrations, which are then sent to the inner ear. The inner ear contains tiny hair cells that translate the vibrations into electrical impulses that are sent to the brain for interpretation via the auditory nerve.

These hair cells can easily be damaged by trauma to the head, exposure to loud noise and even poor blood circulation. Once these cells are damaged, they do not heal, which causes permanent hearing loss. This process can be sped up by inflammation stemming from the bacteria in your mouth.

The good news is that you can proactively take steps to help preserve your hearing. Brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing every night and seeing your dentist for checkups twice a year can help prevent dental issues like infections.

Similarly, you should preserve your hearing by wearing hearing protection and visiting your local audiologist for regular hearing exams.

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We are excited about our new office space and can’t wait for you to see it!

Our new location offers free parking and is accessible via public transportation. Schedule a visit for your hearing health or just stop on by to say “hi” at:

1390 Piccard Dr. Suite 120 Rockville, MD 20850

The Family Hearing Center

TLC

The Treatment and Learning Centers

THE TREATMENT AND LEARNING CENTERS 1390 Piccard Dr. Suite 120, Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: (301) 738-1415 | info@ttlc.org | ttlc.org