When people have trouble hearing, they have to work harder to listen, which can affect how their brain functions.
A big study with information from more than 573,000 people discovered a link between hearing loss and the development of dementia.
This study is the biggest one of its kind up until now.
A concerning discovery
More and more people are getting dementia because the population is getting older, and certain things like how we live and our hearing can also increase the risk.
The study found that people who have trouble hearing have a higher chance, up to 13%, of getting dementia, especially if their hearing loss is severe.
Wearing hearing aids can lower the risk by 6% and delay when dementia starts.
How it was tested
The study looked at a group of people who were 50 years old or older between 2003 and 2017. The researchers discovered a strong connection between hearing loss and dementia.
People with severe hearing loss had the highest risk of developing dementia.
In Denmark, around 800,000 people have hearing loss, and this number is expected to increase because of aging and more exposure to loud noises.
We measure hearing loss in units called decibels (dB), and there are different levels of severity.
Dementia is a term used to describe a decline in mental abilities caused by a brain illness. It affects memory, concentration, orientation, language, personality, and behavior.
Previously, we talked about physical signs of anxiety.
