Dementia Prevention and Consultations
Increasing evidence supports the high efficacy of preventive interventions on persons with intact or poor cognition and high dementia risk. We report recommendations for the deployment of second-generation HEARING TREATMENTS AND DEMENTIA CLINICS whose mission is evidence-based and ethical dementia prevention in at-risk individuals.
Neurodegeneration Can Be Prevented
Hearing detects sounds, while listening involves comprehension and interpretation. Listening goes beyond the surface-level perception of sounds and seeks to extract meaning, understand context, and discern the speaker’s intent. Hearing treatment is necessary in order to preserve and improve speech understanding, it fact it should be a mandatory part of what is called amplification or otherwise hearing instruments fitting. So, hearing aids alone are not always enough to preserve or improve the real function of the auditory system and cognitive brain abilities, required to ensure and preserve person’s independence - listening ability.
We are pleased to inform you, that as certified dementia practitioners, we are proud members of ICCDP, providing our patients with consultations and hearing treatments
Observational population studies indicate that prevention of dementia and cognitive decline is being accomplished, as an result of hearing loss screening and hearing treatments, vascular prevention and healthier lifestyles.
Risk factors for dementia outlined in The Lancet Commission report, which they say could prevent or delay up to 40% of dementia cases. They are:
- number one - brain degeneration
- process caused by not treated
- properly hearing loss
- infrequent social contact and lack of social activities caused by hearing loss presence
- long term stress, anxiety and depression caused by hearing loss limited brain activity introduced by hearing loss caused changes in the human brain
- smoking
- obesity
- excessive alcohol intake
- physical inactivity
- hypertension
- diabetes
- head injury in mid-life
- exposure to air pollution in later life
Loss and death of neurons (specialized nerve cells) and function of the human brain.
There are several different types of hearing loss. Each type requires a different method of treatment.
Hearing loss that comes on little by little as you age, also known as presbycusis, is common. More than half the people in the United States and Canada older than age 75 have some age-related hearing loss.
There are three types of hearing loss:
- Conductive, which involves the outer or middle ear.
- Sensorineural, most common, caused by changes the inner ear.
- Mixed, which is a mix of the two.
Symptoms of hearing loss may include:
Showing symptoms similar to the symptoms of the first stages of dementia.
Hard of hearing people behave and act like older people, losing sharpness of their minds and willingness to actively participate in many activities they used to enjoy.
Hearing loss causes the brain to use more resources for hearing and interpreting speech and sound, so fewer resources go toward gait or balance. Balance and stability can be affected, causing hearing loss sufferers to lose their balance and fall much more frequently than other people fitted with the hearing aids.
Hearing loss also introduces an increased cognitive load as the brain struggles to interpret sounds, leading to fewer cognitive resources for short term memory, long term memory and the ability to focus and stay focused. Appropriately fitted hearing devices can address these issues by increasing spatial awareness and reducing the cognitive resources applied towards hearing.
Muffling of speech and other sounds are typical complaints of hard of hearing people.
They need to turn up the volume of the television or radio frequently by asking people around them to speak louder. With louder speech, hard of hearing people are known to frequently complain that the voices of other people are suddenly too loud.
With even mild hearing loss, a hearing loss sufferer's own voice is not loud enough, so they speak very loudly, almost not allowing other people to talk in social situations, trying to avoid their own confusion and difficulties with speech understanding.
Eventually, hard of hearing people prefer staying clear of some social settings, as long-term stress, anxiety, nervousness and even depression are causing withdrawal, to avoid annoyance caused by not understanding what other people are talking about.
Trouble understanding words, especially when in a crowd or a noisy place, starts with just mild hearing loss. Typical problems are not hearing the letters of the alphabet that aren't vowels. This is why hard of hearing people often ask others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly.
Ringing in the ears, known as tinnitus can be caused by hearing loss.
