Hearing loss disease, which is experienced by approximately 466 million people in the world; In addition to many problems such as depression and social isolation, it increases the risk of dementia when not rehabilitated. Head of the Department of Audiology, which started accepting students at Bahçeşehir University this year, Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Serpil Çapar pointed out that there are studies showing that advanced hearing loss increases the risk of dementia 5 times and said that it is very important to use a hearing aid.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) reports, more than 5 percent of the world's population, about 466 million people, struggle with hearing loss. Approximately 432 million of these patients are adults. Stating that hearing problems are one of the most common health problems in the world, Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Serpil Çapar stated that according to the estimates of international organizations, 2 and a half billion people will suffer from hearing loss in 2050.
Pointing out that the largest segment affected by hearing loss is the group over the age of 65, Dr. Serpil Çapar said, “With the prolongation of human life and the increase in the average age, we expect the rate of being affected by hearing loss to increase. Hearing loss will not only be a problem on its own, but will also cause different health problems. According to the data, two-thirds of people aged 65 and over experience hearing loss, which we call presbycusis. In the long term, people with hearing loss also develop problems such as speech discrimination problems, social isolation, depression and cognitive decline.”
Hearing loss and dementia
Referring to the fact that people with hearing loss and accompanying cognitive impairment experience word finding problems, repetition, speech initiation and maintenance problems in the later stages, Dr. Serpil Çapar emphasized that the process can evolve into dementia and used the following statements:
“The relationship between hearing loss and cognitive impairment has been the subject of many studies and it has been shown that even mild or moderate hearing loss is associated with poor performance in verbal memory. Epidemiologic studies show that hearing loss is associated with cognitive impairment and may be associated with new-onset dementia.”
Severe hearing loss increases the risk of dementia by 5 times
Stating that people with hearing loss sometimes ignore this situation, Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Serpil Çapar emphasized that the treatment should not be neglected, “There are studies showing that hearing loss treatments significantly reduce the risk of dementia. There are studies showing that the risk of dementia can be reduced by 19 percent in the long term with hearing loss rehabilitation. Studies have shown that the risk of dementia increases 2 times in mild hearing loss, 3 times in moderate hearing loss and 5 times in severe hearing loss.”
Hearing aid use is important
Prof. Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Çapar said, “If people can hear better with the use of hearing aids, their cognitive decline slows down. Studies have shown that long-term hearing aid use is less likely to decrease memory skills.”
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