Hear & there

Older people who feel they are slowing down should think about having their hearing checked.

- Marc Wilson

This week, a grab bag of things that are good for you. First, your ears. Are you 60 or over? Statistically, there's a two-in-three chance you have some hearing loss, because that's a common population estimate. It's also an age group that is more likely to experience a decline in cognitive abilities, and for some people, that age-related cognitive decline may keep on going.

When cognitive impairment is sufficiently severe that it's affecting your work and/or social life, we're into dementia territory. It's important to note that, at the mild end, cognitive decline and dementia may go hand in hand but they're not the same thing. Dementia is more global, meaning more parts of your mental life are affected.

Of course, finding a solution for dementia is a holy grail of clinical science. Until we find a magic bullet, the challenge is to find things that slow down cognitive decline when it begins.

It's not the magic bullet, but there's good reason for older folk who feel things are slowing down a bit to look into a hearing aid.