The thought of forgetting your loved ones or being confused by normal day to day tasks is scary for many people. No one wants to suffer from dementia. Luckily, a study has recently found that minimising your risk factors can help prevent dementia. So let's talk about what the study found and how we can help you at Hearing SA.
The Study
The study asked 22 117 people aged between 18 and 89 about their risk factors and then had them complete a series of cognitive tasks relating to memory and attention to measure their cognitive abilities. The results showed that with each extra factor that people had, there was a significant decrease in cognitive performance by up to 3 years of aging. For example, if a person had three risk factors, that was equivalent to a decrease in performance of up to 9 years in aging. The effects of the risk factors increased with age, as did the number of risk factors people had. So if you want to avoid dementia, it’s best to avoid as many of these risk factors as possible!
The risk factors
The risk factors that were studied included:
- Low education (less than high school diploma)
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Alcohol or Substance Abuse
- Hypertension
- Smoking (Currently or in the past four years)
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Hearing Loss
We can help!
Multiple studies have now shown that hearing loss and dementia relate to each other. If you stimulate your brain with hearing you are less likely to suffer from dementia. That’s where we can help! If you are unsure about your hearing levels come in for a free hearing screening today or book an appointment for a full assessment.
Many people can take a long time to recognise their hearing loss. There are so many things that people are concerned about. So let’s talk about these concerns.
I’m too young for hearing aids…Many people feel that hearing aids are something only for old people. Hearing aids are even fitted to babies under two years old. Anyone can wear a hearing aid just like anyone can wear glasses. It’s about being young at heart and finding the adventure in your soul.
Hearing Aids are just not fashionable…You are most likely imagining something big and beige behind your ear. This is simply not true anymore. The hearing aids behind the ear are very small now and come in many different colours. The best advice is to match it to your hair colour to hide the hearing aid. If you really don’t want one behind your ear, there are many in the ear options now with many being so small that no one can see them!
Hearing Aids are too expensive…Cost is very important to everyone, and with the rising cost of living, who wants to spend more money? But you may be eligible for the Hearing Services Program and are entitled to a free hearing aid, that way cost is no issue. Have a chat with your audiologist and they can check your eligibility. What if I’m not eligible? Don’t worry! We still have something for every budget available here at Hearing SA. And is hearing really something you can put a price on?
If you have other concerns please give us a call on 0403 690 980 or 08 8272 6621. We’re always here to listen and help you.
At the end of the day a hearing aid will be much better than having to ask for repeats, pretending you know what was said when you don’t, being isolated from conversations and loved ones, and increasing your risk of dementia. So now’s the time to come in and do a free hearing aid trial!