Hearing Aids as Dementia Prevention!

This is the English translation of my Japanese article to appear in Nikkan San on Sep 4, 2022, as a part of my bi-weekly column, “The Way of the Pianist. This entry is based on an NPR story “Hearing loss is a direct link to dementia. Easier access to hearing aids could help” aired on Aug. 21, 2022.

Did you know? There are many preventable causes that lead to dementia. One of them is hearing loss!

How can hearing loss lead to dementia?

One of the three main reasons is the loss of social interactions that hearing loss can lead to. Hellen Keller wrote in a letter ” The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important, than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulus — the sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir and keeps us in the intellectual company of man.” Considering how she lost her hearing at the age of one, it is understandable how she would not think of including the importance of music in her description of “the most vital stimulus.” However, as “Dr. Pianist,” promoting the power of music to enhance our individual and collective wellbeing, I must add the importance of music here. This is especially true, since there are study findings that indicate that music may prevent the onset of, and mitigate the symptoms and progression of, dementia.

Secondly, it is taxing on our brain to try to decode sounds that are not received clearly. And lastly, because the sound inputs become weaker, the brain parts that deal with sound processing may get atrophied over time that may also cause dementia.

The correlation between hearing loss and dementia have been an on-going topic for over a decade. However, only 15 to 20% of the American population experiencing hearing loss buy hearing aids. The biggest reason is the cost. At $4,700, it can be the most expensive purchase in life for an average American, after their house and car. On top of that, until now, Americans could not acquire hearing aids without a prescription from the doctor, which in itself is an expense, both of money, and time.

But there is good news! More affordable, over-the-counter hearing aids could be in stores as soon as mid-October, according to the FDA announcement earlier this month. This will help many of the nearly 30-million Americans with mild to moderate haring loss purchase their hearing aids and continue to enjoy their social interactions and music!