Getting forgetful? Think it's the early stages of dementia? Maybe, and maybe not. The University of Toronto did a study that found some forgetfulness might be caused by hearing troubles.
That reminds me of when Billy's son was born. He proudly told my dad he was now a father and said, "I named my son Lonny." My dad said, "Gretzky? that's a good name." Eschia!
One time we went to church and my dad forgot to turn his hearing aid on. He couldn't hear the priest so he turned to me and said out loud, "I can't hear a damn thing." I was so embarrassed I almost crawled under the pews.
Another time when Jean was going to Deline, she said, "I'm going to pack my clothes."
I followed her into the bedroom and asked, "Why do you want to crack your toes?"
Maybe I better get my hearing checked.
Apparently, untreated hearing loss can eventually lead to dementia. Also, people who don't communicate well may begin staying away from others and become lonely - both of which can contribute to dementia.
An important thing to remember is that 65 per cent of people with hearing loss are under 64. Say what? Yes, indeed. So, have your hearing checked if you think your memory is getting bad.
Signs of hearing loss
Watch for the following warning signs.
Ringing or buzzing in the ears that comes and goes is one of the earliest signs of hearing loss. We sometimes hear a low buzzing or ringing sound when it's quiet. You may have damaged the nerves in your ear if it's more noticeable, more frequent or always there.
Excessive headphone-use is a big cause of hearing damage, so I never use them. You can get permanent hearing loss from 15 minutes of listening to music full blast with headphones on. A good way to know if your music is too loud is if you hear ringing or buzzing when you shut it off. Sound familiar?
If you begin to lose your balance and stumble more often, that could be a sign of hearing loss too. You might be trying so hard to hear that your brain is spending less time on things like balance, thus throwing you off kilter.
Getting more forgetful. A lot of our memory is based on what we hear. And we can't remember what we didn't hear. When hearing is impaired, the brain may devote extra energy to processing sound and less to memory and thinking.
Passing trains and car horns can be loud and frustrating, but they shouldn't be painful. If you're experiencing pain between a sharp shooting and a dull ache from sounds like this, it could be from hearing loss. Your ears may not be able to process the loud noises, so the noise causes pain.
Are you always saying "what?" Don't blame it on acoustics if you can't pick up what you want to hear in restaurants, or other noisy rooms, while others can. It could be one of the early signs of hearing loss.
So, if you have any of these symptoms, get your hearing checked. And keep an eye on your parents too. But, don't do what I did.
One time I was driving my dad around town and I had to fart. The windows were open, so I thought, "He won't smell it, after all he's 80 years old." So, I let out a crippler without saying anything.
My dad pointed out the window and said, "Holy man, it smells like a dead dog out there." I laughed and admitted, "I just farted."
"Well why didn't you tell me?" He said, a bit irritated. I told him "I thought you wouldn't smell it." And he replied, "I'm going deaf. There's not a damn thing wrong with my nose."