1.1 Billion Millennials Are at Risk for a Condition Linked to Dementia

Of course, it's not just millennials who are affected. Plenty of older people have damaged hearing from loud music, power tools, etc.

https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/billion-millennials-at-risk-for-condition-linked-to-dementia/?fbclid=IwAR1uoC53Xl20r08UhcCVbJyFQCWf6XbGMcs9ieJ0iFaxQyOtYsN1Me7_Mwo&utm_campaign=Oticon+People+First+%28US%29&utm_content=&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

Carrie Madormo

When you think about hearing loss, you probably picture someone in the later years of life. But research suggests that even people under 40 should be wary: The World Health Organization estimates that 1.1 billion millennials worldwide are at risk for hearing loss most likely related to “extensive use of personal listening devices.” Studies show that nearly 50 percent of young adults ages 12 to 35 are cranking the volume in their earbuds to dangerously high decibels.

•••••

Worse yet, hearing loss may be linked to dementia. “Research currently shows a relationship between hearing loss and dementia—that is, people diagnosed with dementia have a higher prevalence of hearing loss, and the more severe the hearing loss, the greater the degree of dementia,” says Laurel Christensen, PhD, chief audiology officer at GN Hearing. “While the underlying cause is not completely known, there is enough of a relationship between hearing loss and dementia to warrant the monitoring of one’s hearing sensitivity,” she says.

•••••