A writer gives a powerful reflection on how untreated hearing loss drives disconnection – and why it’s time to act
Hearing loss doesn’t just change how we experience the world – it changes how we exist in it. It separates, isolates and, if left unaddressed, can set in motion a cycle that quietly accelerates cognitive decline.
A recent Psychology Today article, written by an autistic contributor with partial hearing loss, offers a strikingly personal take on this issue. While scientific studies have long noted the link between hearing loss and dementia, this piece goes further, showing how the social consequences of auditory decline can be just as damaging as the physical ones – and often go unnoticed until real harm is done.
When connection becomes effort
“Any time you can’t perceive things as those around you do, you become the odd man (or woman) out,” John Elder Robison writes. That sentence captures a truth many people with hearing loss experience but don’t always articulate: the constant, quiet pressure of trying to keep up, the fatigue of half-understood conversations, and the moments of missing out that slowly accumulate into withdrawal.
The article draws a compelling analogy with autism, where differences in sensory processing can lead to social disconnection. The author notes that hearing loss can create a similar gulf. You stop going to restaurants because they’re too loud. You nod along in meetings rather than admit you didn’t catch what was said. Over time, isolation becomes not just a response, but a habit.
Hearing loss and the cognitive cost of withdrawal
The link between hearing loss and dementia is well established. Studies have shown that even mild hearing loss doubles the risk of cognitive decline. Moderate hearing loss triples it. Severe hearing loss increases the risk fivefold.
Yet as Psychology Today highlights, the damage isn’t just happening in the ear – it’s happening in the brain. Social interaction is one of the brain’s key sources of stimulation. Remove it, and cognitive resilience starts to erode.
Vincent Howard, Co-founder of Hearology®, an audiologist that tests for and treats hearing loss amongst a variety of other services, believes the consequences of neglecting hearing loss are both underestimated and unnecessary. “If you let it, hearing loss will remove access to the joys of life,” he said. “It’s a tragedy that only 10% of those who could benefit from hearing technology actually seek assistance.”
The slow fade – and why it’s so often missed
One of the reasons hearing loss goes untreated is that it creeps in gradually. Robison describes how, over time, he became less able to hear high frequencies. Music lost its sparkle. Speech became harder to follow. But instead of prompting action, these changes were easy to dismiss – background noise, tiredness, too many people talking at once.
This is typically what happens - because hearing loss often doesn’t hurt, people find ways to compensate. They rely on lip reading. They turn up the volume - and then turn on the subtitles. They avoid noisy spaces. And because they can still hear something, they assume nothing is wrong.
But by the time they seek help, the brain may have already begun to change how it processes sound – and how it engages with the world.
Technology has advanced – but the stigma remains
Today’s hearing aids are much better than they used to be. Modern devices use digital signal processing to shift inaudible high frequencies into a more accessible range. AI-driven features can separate speech from background noise. Many models are small, discreet and wirelessly connected to smartphones.
The technology is there. The problem is perception. Hearing aids still carry a stigma – a misplaced sense that they’re a marker of decline. For many, the slow onset of hearing loss combines with this reluctance to seek help until it’s too late and real damage has been done.
More than sound – a safeguard for the mind
The takeaway from the Psychology Today piece is not just that hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline – but that the link is deeply human. It’s about loneliness. Frustration. Reduced access to the very things that make life enjoyable and fulfilling.
By treating hearing loss early, people can avoid the worst of the isolation doom loop. That means not waiting for it to get bad. It means regular hearing tests, open conversations and a willingness to try the tools that are now available.
Because, while hearing loss starts at the ear, it doesn't end there.
References
- Age-Related Hearing Loss - Provides information on age-related hearing loss, which is relevant to the discussion of how hearing loss affects cognitive health over time.
- Deafness and hearing loss - Provides global perspectives on hearing loss, emphasizing its prevalence and impact on quality of life.
- Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, and Cognition - Examines the association between hearing loss and cognitive impairment in middle-aged adults, showing that both mild and disabling hearing loss are linked to greater cognitive impairment.
- The Link Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline - Supports the claim that hearing loss is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia, highlighting potential mechanisms such as cognitive load and changes in brain structure.
- Understanding the Link Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline - Discusses the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline, emphasizing social isolation and cognitive load as contributing factors.
