Photo credit: Fechi Fajardo licensed under CC BY 2.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
This article in JAMA Network Open reports an association of hearing loss with the development of dementia in Taiwan. Similar associations have been reported in the United States.
Prevention of hearing loss and provision of hearing aids might help, but I prefer prevention in the first instance. After all, prevention is almost always better and cheaper than treatment, especially for auditory disorders, and noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable.
So to preserve your hearing and more, avoid loud noise or use hearing protection if you can’t. And remember: if something sounds too loud, it IS too loud.
