Photo credit: Silver Blu3 licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Jane Brody’s recent column in The New York Times discusses the importance of good hearing for brain health. The exact mechanism isn’t understood, but the evidence is clear: even slight hearing loss has significant effects on brain function.
Research is under way to learn if using hearing aids prevents or delays the onset of dementia in those with hearing loss. In the meantime, we recommend avoiding loud noise exposure to prevent hearing loss, because noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable.
Remember: if a noise sounds too loud, it is too loud. Leave the noisy environment or protect your hearing now, or wear hearing aids later.
