SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2017 · 3 UNANSWERED QUESTIONS Medical professionals still uncertain about exactly how hearing loss relates to dementia While, in recent years, the medical community has come to the conclusion that there is a link between hearing loss and dementia, what isn’t settled is whether or not hearing loss actually causes dementia. “That’s highly contentious,” said Dr. Todd Hillman, an otolaryngologist from Allegheny Health Network’s Hearing and Balance Center. “When the studies first came out, audiologists were a little excited because they were like, ‘Hey, it’s important to correct hearing loss because you don’t want to get dementia.’ “But what’s uncertain is that it may not be true at all — that correcting hearing loss may not prevent dementia and that there may be factors that cause both hearing loss and dementia, that hearing loss is the canary in the coal mine that’s kind of the first stage of cognitive decline.” One of the things that happens as people age is that they start losing small blood vessels, Hillman said. The loss of very small vessels in the ears can cause hearing loss, especially at higher frequencies, and that person might then develop vascular dementia. “So, the hearing loss doesn’t cause dementia, but the blood vessel loss can cause both,” he said. “It’s unknown and controversial and still being studied.” Another theory is that untreated hearing loss can cause a reduction in the use of language skills, which could accelerate dementia in a “use it or lose it” type of way, Hillman said. “That might still be legitimate,” he said. “It hasn’t been disproven yet.” Audiologist Dr. Patrick Francis of Wexford likened it to what happens when one is driving in the car and listening to the radio. Once a driver gets into heavy traffic or somewhere unfamiliar where directions are involved, the first thing most people do is turn down the radio so they can focus. “You can only divide your cognitive resources so many ways,” he said. ONTHEMEDICAL FRONT BY KAREN PRICE CONTINUED ON · 14
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