How hearing loss can affect your brain

If you are slowly finding it hard to hear at occasions, seek medical attention as soon as possible because the hearing loss may mean faster brain degeneration, warns a study.

The brain shrinks with age, but the shrinkage may be faster in older adults with hearing loss, according to a study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging in the US.

Those with impaired hearing were found to lose more than an additional cubic centimetre of brain tissue each year compared with those with normal hearing.

‘Our results suggest that hearing loss could be another ‘hit’ on the brain in many ways,’ says Frank Lin, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University’s school of medicine.

For the study, Lin and his colleagues compared brain changes over time between adults with normal hearing and adults with impaired hearing.

Lin and his colleagues said those participants whose hearing was already impaired at the start of the study had accelerated rates of brain atrophy compared to those with normal hearing. 

The study also gives some urgency to treating hearing loss rather than ignoring it. ‘If you want to address hearing loss, well, you want to do it sooner rather than later,’ added Lin.

The findings add to a growing list of health consequences associated with hearing loss, including increased risk of dementia, falls, hospitalisations, and diminished physical and mental health overall. 

Hearing loss or deafness – some facts you ought to know

Did you know that there are 360 million people in the world who suffer from disabling hearing loss? That is 5.3% of the world’s population, out of which 32 million are children. Read on to find more such facts:

Chronic ear infections are a leading cause of hearing loss: The global prevalence of chronic otitis media (COM) ranges from 1 to 46% in developed and developing countries. COM leads to hearing loss and can cause life-threatening complications and mortality. The most astonishing thing is that COM is largely preventable. It can be managed effectively through medical and surgical means.

Noise is a major cause of hearing loss, it is also a very easily avoidable: Noise is a cause for concern in both, developed and developing countries. In many countries, excessive noise has become the most compensated occupational hazard. The risk of social noise, such as, music and entertainment devices, is increasing globally among young people.

 Hearing loss can be due to the use of ototoxic medications: Some commonly used medications (such as aminoglycosides, anti-malarial drugs) can lead to irreversible hearing loss. Ototoxicity can be prevented through awareness amongst health-care providers and rational use of drugs. 

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