Research demonstrates that hearing aid users have less than half the risk of cognitive impairment, compared to people with unmanaged hearing loss.

Hearing loss can be extremely frustrating! We can often hear some sounds, but we miss out on the clarity of speech, and therefore full understanding.

Hearing loss results in under-stimulation of our auditory systems, and parts of the brain that are involved in hearing and understanding sound, experience reduced access to patterns and meaning. The longer hearing loss affects access, the more likely it is to cause an impact on other mental skills that rely on clear sound. People who have a hearing loss may avoid meeting in groups and struggle to interact in more difficult environments. Avoidance reduces opportunities for practicing important communication skills and increases feelings of isolation. Effortful listening also makes it more difficult to store information, and studies show that poorer memory skills can result. Memory is one our most important cognitive skills, and so treating loss of sound (usually by using hearing aids) can make improve pattern recognition in conversations which positively impacts brain function. This helps to maintain mental skills.

Studies have compared the cognitive function of people with normal hearing (group 1), to people who have aided hearing (group 2), as well as, to people who have unmanaged hearing loss (group 3). They have found that people with unaided hearing show significantly more mental decline than the other two groups. There is also evidence to suggest that some people with hearing loss can practice the mental skills that underpin understanding speech, with appropriately fitted hearing aids, leading to improved cognitive function. Therefore, better hearing is one way of maximising our mental potential and is a practical strategy to reduce the impact of hearing loss on cognitive function.