Some form of cognitive decline is inevitable as we age. As we get older, it is common to have memory issues, and the pace of cognitive change tends to increase as we age beyond the years of 70, 80, or 90. Although these minor memory issues are quite common, you might be wondering what you can do to prevent serious cognitive issues, including dementia. Although there is no known cure for cognitive decline or dementia, there are some lifestyle behaviors that can increase your chances of staying mentally sharp. Things as simple as diet and exercise have been linked to better cognitive performance later in life, but one aspect of health might come as a surprise. When you get treatment for hearing and vision problems, you stand to slow down the process of cognitive decline by 50-75%. Let’s take a closer look at the studies that discovered these trends, as well as the kind of treatment that will help you avoid cognitive decline.
Studies on Vision, Hearing Loss & Cognitive Decline
A joint study from the University of Michigan and the University of Manchester used a detailed data set to understand how hearing loss is related to cognitive decline. They recruited 2,000 older people to participate in the study, and they measured their hearing ability every two years for 18 years in full. This rich data set helped the researchers learn a lot about what factors of health and lifestyle were correlated with hearing loss. They also measured cognitive ability with a range of memory tests, such as asking the participants to recall a list of 10 words. Among those who had hearing loss, those who wore hearing aids had 75% slower rates of cognitive decline during the study period. A companion study by the same team of researchers also investigated the effect of cataract surgery on cognitive decline. They found that those who had cataract surgery performed 50% better on these cognitive exams than those who had vision problems but who did not get cataract surgery.
Understanding the Results
With these powerful results in mind, you might wonder what accounts for the differences. Although both groups had problems with vision and hearing, those who got treatment had much slower rates of cognitive decline over the long period of the research study. When interpreting a study like this, it is important to keep in mind that the results show correlations but not necessarily a causal relationship. It’s not as simple as saying that wearing hearing aids or getting cataract surgery will keep you from experiencing a fast rate of cognitive decline.
With this caveat in mind, the researchers do point to some possibilities that explain the relationship. When we experience sensory issues later in life, they can impair our ability to communicate and work with language. Language processing is a crucial aspect of cognition, and depriving the brain of the ability to process language and to improvise solutions can lead to physical changes in brain structure and chemistry. For instance, even those who have mild hearing loss show changes in the use of their brains when they are presented with language.
Rather than using the portions of the brain that are usually devoted to complex processing, they recruit that region of the brain to the simpler task of decoding sounds as language. The eyes may have a similar role in keeping the brain sharp. Reading and interacting with visual information is one way to “exercise” the brain, keeping it quick in its responses to this information.
Schedule a Hearing Test!
If you are concerned about cognitive decline, one of the simple steps you can take is to get a hearing test and see if hearing loss is a problem for you. After interpreting the results of your test, our hearing health professionals can recommend the right hearing aids for your needs. When you put hearing aids into place and use them consistently and effectively, you can experience the benefits for cognitive health and other aspects of physical and mental well-being. Why not take a step to look out for your future self by getting a hearing test? That exam can be the first step toward a sharper brain in the future.