hear.com reposted this
Roughly 40 million Americans have hearing loss, and it's increasing their dementia risk. Research cited by both the The New York Times and NPR has established what clinicians have known for years: untreated hearing loss carries more dementia risk than smoking, high blood pressure, or social isolation. The research is extensive, and it keeps pointing in the same direction. At hear.com, we think about this data constantly. We’ve seen that people delay treatment for the same reasons they avoid blood pressure checks or skip the eye doctor. It doesn't feel urgent until it is. - often when the cognitive toll has already started. The delay is especially costly with hearing because the loss is so gradual. The brain compensates, and years pass before someone admits they've been missing things. The research and technology are here. We know that early intervention works. What's still missing is urgency, and creating that urgency is one of the most important work this industry can do right now.
