Recent studies have emerged linking hormone imbalances as we get older to a decline in cognitive health, which is the part of the brain related to memory and fine motor skills.
As we age, we naturally lose sex-related hormones, called estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. The loss of these hormones can affect the rest of our bodies in ways we didn’t initially realize, including our memory and other cognitive abilities.
For example, for women, estrogen regulates cortisol, which is a neurotransmitter responsible for chemical communication in your brain; during perimenopause, estrogen levels decline, so your cortisol levels aren’t as regulated, which can then lead to memory loss and more cognitive issues.
With the help of hormone imbalance testing and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), you can bolster your memory and motor skills by helping your body produce the hormones it needs.
However, if you aren’t worried about hormone imbalances just yet and have noticed your memory isn’t as good as it used to be, a hearing test could help you understand what’s going on.
Hearing Care and Cognitive Decline
Another way to help avoid cognitive decline is with professional hearing care. It’s no secret that your hearing is connected to many other functions of the body, like your balance and your memory; your cognitive abilities work together with your hearing to help you understand and recall information that your ears hear.
With the help of a comprehensive hearing assessment, you can understand your current range of hearing and see what you need to do to assist it, whether that be through hearing aids, regular ear cleanings, or even just turning down the volume on your car radio!
When you’re sitting in a crowded space, like a restaurant or a bar, and trying to listen to your loved one in front of you, how much can you hear amongst the loud music, the background noise, the sounds of food cooking? It’s harder than it seems!
Straining to listen and make sense of what’s going on in front of you with all the noise around you can add unneeded fatigue to your brain, weakening its functions as a result, and you’ll struggle to remember what you did hear because you were so focused on hearing it in the first place.
Cognitive decline, whether caused by hormone imbalances or hearing loss, can prove to be frustrating and isolating, especially with the risk of dementia on the horizon. Help alleviate your worries of your cognitive decline worsening by talking to a hearing care professional or seeking out hormone replacement therapy.
Concerned About Your Hearing?
No matter what your cognitive decline was caused by, we’re happy to look in your ears and help you narrow down the potential culprit with a hearing test.
For questions you’d like answered about hearing care or to talk with a professional about your specific hearing health concerns, please feel free to contact us to schedule an appointment for a hearing evaluation to consult with an audiologist.
Don’t want to wait? You can find your closest office and call us at:
Thousand Oaks: (805) 379-0824
Simi Valley: (805) 583-8698
Oxnard: (805) 983-4214
Camarillo: (805) 484-5951
