Why it's important to protect your hearing as you age – and what experts suggest
'There are already more than enough established benefits related to hearing care,' says Reed, a faculty member of the NYU Langone Health Optimal Aging Institute.
What's especially important about supporting hearing health is the effect it has on keeping people engaged in the world, Reed explains. Here's what experts recommend in order to support your hearing as you age.
Hearing loss can result from a wide range of genetic and environmental factors, such as chronic diseases and smoking. Some also experience age-related hearing loss, called presbycusis.
Hearing loss is 'not about volume', Reed explains. Instead, it's a clarity issue. We lose our hearing at different frequencies at different rates, which can make sounds garbled.
There is a tendency to 'normalize hearing loss as we age to some extent', says Reed. Other conditions can seem more pressing, and hearing loss becomes a low priority. There can be 'downstream effects' in a healthcare context because hearing loss can hinder patient-provider communication, says Reed.
Early research suggests that hearing loss is associated with increased cognitive decline and an increased risk of new cases of dementia, although further studies are needed to understand this connection. Researchers have not, however, found a cause-and-effect relationship between hearing loss and dementia.
Reed and his colleagues wanted to calculate the number of cases of dementia there could be in a population if a potential risk factor, in this case hearing loss, was eliminated. They used a sample of nearly 3,000 adults aged 66 to 90 and found 32% of the dementia risk in the sample group was potentially associated with audiometric hearing loss (hearing loss measured through testing).
According to the authors, these results suggest that treating hearing loss may delay the onset of dementia in some older adults. However, this research cannot establish whether hearing loss causes dementia, explains co-author Jason Smith, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of North Carolina.
One potential reason hearing loss is associated with cognitive changes is that it can lead to more social isolation, which may strain the brain and affect memory, says Reed. Another theory is that because auditory signals stimulate the brain, the lack of stimulation caused by hearing loss can lead to accelerated brain atrophy.
If hearing problems are linked to an increased risk of dementia, are there ways to reduce that risk? An influential 2020 Lancet report recommended the use of hearing aids and protecting ears from excessive noise exposure. A 2023 analysis found a connection between the use of devices like hearing aids and a decreased risk of cognitive decline. However, further research is needed.
Hearing loss is not an inevitable part of ageing. But certain factors, such as age-related changes to the inner ear and auditory nerve, as well as genetics, are beyond our control.
We can still mitigate the likelihood of damage from other causes. For example, we can manage conditions associated with hearing loss, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. We can also limit exposure to sources of damaging noise, like construction equipment, lawn mowers, motorcycles and loud music. Small actions, like protecting your hearing at a loud concert with over-ear headphones, which Reed prefers to earplugs, can have a big impact.
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'A healthy lifestyle and healthy listening habits can go a long way,' says Reed.
Reed also recommends that people start getting their hearing tested in their late 30s or 40s. Establishing a baseline can help you identify changes over time, and indicate if and when new habits might be useful. The longer you live with impaired hearing, the harder it is to adjust to tools like hearing aids.
Several treatments and devices can help alleviate hearing loss, but their effectiveness depends on the individual. If you suspect you have hearing issues, it's best to have your hearing checked and discuss options with your healthcare provider.
Hearing aids can be purchased over-the-counter or with a prescription. Reed says learning how to wear them takes time and practice. There's a critical public health need to expand coverage for these tools, says Smith, because it's well-established that hearing aids can improve quality of life.
While studies haven't proven that hearing aids will delay dementia, scientists are intrigued by their potential to support brain health.
'The idea is that, in theory, if a person uses hearing aids, communication becomes easier and you lower the burden of cognitive load,' says Reed. 'You're stimulating the brain with more auditory signals.'
Staying engaged in social networks is key to maintaining mental and physical wellbeing, says Reed. In a 2025 study, Reed and colleagues found that, among people with hearing loss, participants who received hearing aids and were counseled on their use experienced less loneliness and social isolation. They also had more varied types of connections, such as friends, family and acquaintances.
Similarly, assistive technologies may help. These range widely in function and design, but generally amplify sound, reduce background noise, and improve communication. For example, apps that convert speech to text can assist with phone calls, and personal amplifiers can enhance hearing in conversations. People with mild to moderate hearing loss may find some relief in settings like crowded restaurants through items like the Apple AirPods Pro 2, which feature a built-in hearing aid, says Reed.
In some instances, what can help a person manage hearing loss best is how they are supported by their community. There's a need for more equitable environments that support people with sensory health needs, says Smith.
'Some communication tips can go really far,' says Reed. 'Good communication is looking someone in the face. It's speaking slowly. It's about rephrasing and adding context.'
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Medical News Today
6 minutes ago
- Medical News Today
Might a combination of 2 cancer drugs help treat Alzheimer's disease?
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The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
The science-backed exercise method that can help fight the effects of ageing
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This can allow you to perfect your form for each exercise – like any physical activity, lifting weights is a skill that needs to be learned. Beyond this, there are a few fundamentals that need to be present for this pursuit to be successful. Consistency: The body adheres to the SAID principle, which stands for specific adaptations to imposed demands. Put simply, it adapts to become better at the things we consistently ask it to do. Lifting weights sends a clear signal that we need stronger muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons, among other positive physical adaptations, but it needs to be done regularly to maintain this message. One or two times per week is a good place to start. Challenge: To provide a stimulus sufficient for triggering positive changes, strength training has to be somewhat challenging. After all, if an activity feels easy, why would the body need to adapt when it's already up to the task? 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The easiest ways to do this are increasing the weight you're lifting, upping the repetitions you're performing per set or raising the number of sets you complete of an exercise. For example, if the workout above starts to feel easy, the following week you could add a couple of kilograms to the dumbbells, aim for 20 repetitions per set rather than 15, or perform four sets of each exercise rather than three. What benefits can you expect to see after a few months of strength training? 'The first thing you're going to notice is improved energy and perception of energy,' says Matranga. 'You're going to feel like you have more juice. 'You will definitely notice you have more speed, power and balance in your movement too. I'm not saying you will be a freak athlete, but you will be able to get off the sofa easier and walk a little quicker.' These are the first impacts of strength training that his clients tend to report. 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The Guardian
36 minutes ago
- The Guardian
I lost my hearing in one ear and I'm worried I won't find a new job
I am a 50-year-old man. After a long-term disease, I had my inner ear removed, and then lost my job due to incapacity. I have hearing in one ear, am waiting for an implant and wear aids, which help. I felt lost for a few years, but I got fit and slowly regrouped, and ended up doing an apprenticeship. Now it is coming to an end, I am worried about applying for jobs, having to prove myself again against healthy people half my age. Sometimes I wake in the night panicking. I want to cry most of the time. I just want someone to say it will be OK and help me. But I'm not sure who to ask. My biggest fear is putting strain on my wife and kids again. I can't drive due to the illness and operation, so I am already at a loss as to which jobs I can apply for. After being ill for so long I lost a lot of friends, who just didn't get it. I think the new situation is triggering a lot of that hurt. Facing a long-term disease and loss of hearing is tough. You have already really helped yourself. I went to emergency planner Prof Lucy Easthope, and the RNID, the national charity supporting people who are deaf or have hearing loss or tinnitus (which is one in three adults in the UK). Easthope has written a book you may find helpful called Come What May: Life-Changing Lessons for Coping with Crisis. The first thing she said was: 'Bloody well done. We often need to hear that, but no one says it. You've been incredibly brave doing the apprenticeship.' She felt you were using 'pessimism as protection, which can actually be really helpful as long as it doesn't sabotage, because you have to be ready for things to not go entirely right. And there are reasons things might not go right that shouldn't be linked to your self-esteem.' She gave the example of people after adversity 'going for total reinvention and not being realistic, like going for jobs they can't do and maybe could never do. If the job isn't right for you, then you probably won't get it.' She also felt that: 'What you are going through is bigger than what happens next; the dreams you have had to give up on.' She suggested 'speaking out loud the monsters that keep you awake at night so you can explore them'. Who previously made things OK for you? Is there someone you can talk to? I'm sure your wife would welcome you letting her in, but if not, a good friend or a family member? I'm sorry your friends didn't get it. Lots of people don't, but often it's not ill intent, just ignorance (and laziness to not find out what you need). Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Little by little, things can and will shift. Health crises can really throw us, and it can take a long time to adapt and redefine ourselves. It also sounds like you are a bit afraid of letting others in, but talking about things is how we process. No one can say this is going to be 100% OK, but slowly you may realise that there will be OK-ness, joy and hope. You can cry if you need to. The RNID recommended looking for employers who have signed up to the Disability Confident scheme. And added: 'Remember that under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a legal duty to support individuals, including those who are deaf or have hearing loss.' The RNID has lots more info, and the charity Hearing Link Services offers peer support sessions. Easthope said that you might imagine younger people without your issues wouldn't be afraid but, trust us, they are. Everyone is with a new start. You've done amazingly well. This wasn't what you planned, but it's where you've found yourself. You're not the same person you were at the beginning of this journey, because you've already found great resources within yourself. Every week, Annalisa Barbieri addresses a personal problem sent in by a reader. If you would like advice from Annalisa, please send your problem to Annalisa regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions. The latest series of Annalisa's podcast is available here. Comments on this piece are pre-moderated to ensure the discussion remains on the topics raised by the article. Please be aware that there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site.
