How Your Hearing Can Impact Your Brain

Are you one of more than 70,000 Vermonters who have hearing loss? If so, you should have your hearing tested regularly and get hearing aids, if you need them. Your brain’s health may depend on it.

People ages 40 and older with untreated hearing loss have a greater risk of developing dementia and other conditions that lead to cognitive decline, studies have found. As age and the severity of hearing loss increase, so do the chances of dementia. The good news is that using hearing aids can reduce dementia risk and slow cognitive decline.

Let’s take a closer look at how hearing loss can affect your brain’s health, and what hearing aid benefits are available through Blue Cross Vermont.  

Link Between Hearing Loss and Dementia

The relationship between hearing loss and dementia has been confirmed by several studies.

• Mild hearing loss doubles the risk of dementia and moderate loss triples the risk, according to a 12-year study of more than 600 people by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. People with severe hearing impairment had five times the risk of developing dementia.
• The prevalence of dementia was 61 percent higher among people with moderate-to-severe hearing loss, compared to people with normal hearing, in a study of more than 2,400 Medicare beneficiaries.
• There is a moderate association between hearing impairment and dementia for people less than 85 years of age, a study of more than 7,000 individuals in Norway found.

How does untreated hearing loss increase the chances of developing dementia? The exact cause is not known, but several factors may be involved:

• Hearing loss stresses the brain as it tries to process incomplete sounds and fill in missing information. That stress can impact other cognitive brain functions like memory, thinking, and balance.
• Parts of the brain shrink or atrophy when the ability to hear sounds is diminished.
• People with hearing loss can be less socially engaged, which leads to the brain being less stimulated and active. Cognitive decline has been associated with reduced social activity.
• If people with hearing loss feel isolated or withdrawn, it may cause depression — a known risk factor for dementia.

How Do Hearing Aids Help?

Hearing aids play an important role in protecting brain health and reducing the risk of dementia.

• There was a 32 percent lower prevalence of dementia in people with moderate-to-severe hearing loss who used hearing aids, a study found.
• People at higher risk of dementia who received hearing aids had an almost 50 percent reduction in the rate of cognitive decline, compared to people who didn’t use hearing aids, in a three-year study by Johns Hopkins University researchers.

Using hearing aids helps people with hearing loss be more socially and physically active. When people hear better, they no longer shy away from interacting with other people and are more willing to participate in various activities. That stimulation is good for the brain and helps ward off dementia.

Making listening easier for the brain reduces stress and helps preserve other functions like thinking and memory.

Getting a Hearing Evaluation

Hearing loss occurs gradually as people get older, and it may be so subtle that it goes unnoticed. That’s why it’s important as you age to have your hearing checked regularly by a healthcare professional. They will be able to determine the type and severity of hearing loss and discuss treatment options with you.

If you are between 18 and 64 years old and are unsure whether you need a hearing test, here are a couple of online resources to help you determine if a professional hearing evaluation is needed.

• Ten questions about your hearing from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.  
• Online hearing screening test from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

You can also ask your primary care provider to give you a quick hearing screening during an office visit. If a problem is found, they may refer you to an audiologist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) for further evaluation.

Coverage for Hearing Aids

If you purchased your Blue Cross Vermont health insurance as a qualified health plan, either through Vermont Health Connect or directly from us, you will be able to access high-quality hearing aids by working with your existing audiologist or from our partner TruHearing. Some large group employer health plans include this benefit.

The hearing benefit covers:

• One hearing aid per ear, every three years
• One routine hearing exam each plan year
• Hearing aid(s) must be prescribed, fitted, and dispensed by a hearing care professional like TruHearing or an in-network audiologist
• There is no coverage for over-the-counter hearing aids

For more information about hearing benefits, check your outline of coverage.

If you use TruHearing, you will be able to purchase hearing aids from leading manufacturers at substantial discounts. TruHearing offers a risk-free 60-day trial period and a full three-year manufacturer warranty. Call TruHearing at 1-833-414-7710 or TTY 711 and they will schedule an appointment with a qualified TruHearing network provider near you. If you prefer not to go through TruHearing, you can find an in-network audiologist with our Find a Doctor online tool.  

Original Medicare (Parts A and B) does not cover hearing aids, but our Vermont Blue Advantage Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans do include hearing aid benefits. For more information, visit vermontblueadvantage.com.