A recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society shows use of a hearing aid is associated with a reduced risk of dementia, depression and falls among people with hearing loss. The study was conducted between 2008 and 2016 by the University of Michigan. It used insurance claims on 114,862 managed-care adults, each adult over the age of 66 and diagnosed with hearing loss.

The research divided the subjects into two groups, those who had been prescribed a hearing aid and those who had not. Researchers studied the subjects' insurance claims for three years after their hearing loss diagnosis.

Connection to Dementia 

Researchers discovered patients receiving hearing aids in the three-year period after a hearing loss diagnosis had lower rates of dementia. This group also showed reduced rates of depression and falls compared to the group that did not get a hearing aid.The author of the study is Elham Mahmoudi, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Michigan. Mahmoudi writes "...cognitive decline is much higher among people with hearing loss..." He adds the study suggests hearing aids could delay the onset of dementia in some people.

Other Studies Suggest a Similar Link 

In 2018, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published combined results from 36 different studies. These results showed age-related hearing loss is linked to increased risk of dementia, cognitive decline, and impairment. Other research has linked hearing loss to depression and falling.

Hearing Loss and the Brain 

There is no research with answers about the effects of hearing loss on the brain. There are several theories. One is that hearing loss causes your brain to expend more effort to hear and this effort could come at the expense of other brain functions. A second theory is that hearing loss causes changes in the physical structure of your brain and that these changes can harm your memory. This theory comes with evidence from brain imaging studies. 

Social isolation is another result of hearing loss. The condition makes is difficult for victims to communicate so some will begin to isolate themselves from family and friends. This action is linked to heart disease and Alzheimer's.

Before you leave, we have a question for our readers.

Does background noise overly interfere with your conversations? 

Do you have trouble hearing people who do not speak loudly and clearly with perfect diction? 

Making a simple decision as trying a hearing aid may seem like a small step, but it can be a huge leap to a better quality of life. Many adults live with untreated hearing loss for many reasons, particularly to avoid purchasing expensive hearing devices. Because traditional hearing aids can cost several thousands of dollars making it out of reach for the many that actually need it.

So what other options are available?

Fortunately, There is an option for people who are suffering from hearing loss but don’t want to spend thousands on a solution. Thanks to advancements in design and technology, there is no need to suffer in silence any longer.

HearBloom devices are tiny, barely visible, revolutionary hearing devices. The advanced design ensures you can hear everything that is going on around you while filtering out annoying background noise and without breaking the bank.

Whatever stage your hearing loss is at, from mild to severe, you will hear the world around you in the way nature intended.

Why anyone with hearing loss can benefit from a device like HearBloom 

As we mentioned earlier, many people are mistakenly embarrassed about hearing loss. However, hearing loss can have substantial negative side effects on your life. The good news is that using a hearing aid can counter those negative effects and offer several benefits you might not even realize: 

✅ Increased lifespan – According to Oxford Journals, a team of Icelandic researchers discovered the mortality rate for elderly people with untreated hearing loss is higher than that of people with hearing loss who wear hearing aids. 

✅ The Alzheimer’s connection – Believe it or not, there is a direct connection between hearing loss and dementia. While this connection is not fully understood, it is documented. For every 10 decibels of hearing loss the risk of dementia grows by 27%. This danger might be mitigated with the use of a hearing aid. 

✅ A better quality of life – Despite the common resistance to admitting hearing loss, several studies reveal that once people with hearing loss start using a hearing aid the quality of their social lives improves dramatically. 

Here at HearBloom, we have come on the scene to help reduce those costs, by making hearing devices more affordable & accessible for the many millions around the world who are losing their hearing.

You can find out more about our range of hearing devices below.