12 November 2023 , 15:59
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Leading a healthy lifestyle is important to many, and there are little things and habits we can adopt daily to help our health in the long run.
However, it's also important to know certain choices to avoid in a bid to promote a healthier lifestyle. Things such as eating lots of fatty foods, large alcohol consumption, and smoking are all things that could be detrimental to our health.
But there's one hobby that people aren't aware of that could potentially lead to dementia in later life, as warned by a top doctor who tells people to "swallow their pride".
Dr Adam Moreton, a leading psychologist has warned Brits to avoid unnecessary loud noises and urges people to lower their earphone volume in a bid to help reduce the risk of dementia. For those who may already be struggling with their hearing, he said people should "swallow their pride" and wear auditory aids to help protect from developing dementia.
The doctor, from Pall Mall Medical, has revealed a link between struggling to hear and developing a loss of cognitive functioning and stated that "sensory impairment" does contribute to the debilitating disease.
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He explained to the Daily Star: "I think that after getting your blood pressure checked and treated, number two on the list of simple things you should do in your middle years to prevent your future risk of dementia is to protect your hearing by avoiding excessive noise exposure. Ensure your headphones aren't too loud because sensory impairment or loss of hearing does contribute to your risk of developing the condition."
He shared that "most people don't like the idea of hearing aids", but he stated that there were many "benefits" to wearing them, including "cognition and your thinking, going beyond just your improved ability to hear and communicate."
He said that not being able to hear properly can cause "unnecessary confusion which over time can impact on your understanding and impact on your thinking processes."
Dr Moreton also warned that there is a whole list of issues that can come from sensory impairment and that losing your hearing can also lead to "social isolation". This is because people who struggle to hear won't "communicate well" with others, meaning they won't "talk as much" and be less inclined to strike up conversations.
"Hearing is so important, so protect it before you lose it. And if you are losing it, you might need to suck up your pride and get some hearing aids to help maintain what you've got for as long as possible. In some cases, you might even find that your so-called memory problem was purely down to poor hearing and is completely reversible. For the rest of you then protecting your hearing as best as possible is still crucially important."