Scots encouraged to take free test to help reduce dementia risk

In the run-up to World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September, TV GP Dr Hilary Jones is helping the Love Your Ears campaign in Scotland to raise awareness of the link between hearing problems in midlife and our risk of developing dementia, after a recent report from The Lancet Commission identified midlife hearing loss as the most significant dementia risk.

Laura Ewen, a Senior Audiologist from Edinburgh who manages Hidden Hearing clinics across Scotland, explained:

People who develop hearing problems between the ages of 40 and 65 have been found to have an increased risk of developing dementia in later life. But there is something you can do now to help reduce the risk. Research has found that people who use hearing aids to manage a hearing loss are less likely to develop dementia and also show less decline in memory and thinking skills over a long period of hearing aid use.”

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Dementia, including Alzheimer’s, is one of the health conditions many Scots are most concerned about as they get older, according to new research that asked adults across the country about their top health concerns.

Dr Hilary Jones is encouraging Scots aged 40-65 to get a free hearing testDr Hilary Jones is encouraging Scots aged 40-65 to get a free hearing test
Dr Hilary Jones is encouraging Scots aged 40-65 to get a free hearing test

Almost 1 in 3 (31%) of those surveyed listed dementia as their top health concern – a far greater number than those concerned about stroke (19%), bowel cancer (14%), diabetes (10%), osteoarthritis (10%), breast cancer (11%) or lung cancer (9%). Yet awareness of the most significant risk factor identified by scientists for reducing their risk of dementia was found to be worryingly low.

Only 5% of Scots surveyed for the Love Your Ears campaign run by Hidden Hearing were aware that addressing hearing loss and wearing hearing aids when you need them significantly reduces your risk of dementia, especially if you develop hearing problems in midlife.

For the majority of those surveyed in Scotland, getting their hearing tested was found to be a low priority – only 5% said they had been tested this year and only 12% were considering having a test. This compared to other self-care priorities they said they had invested in or were considering, including: an eye test, prescription glasses or sunglasses (55%); getting their hair coloured or having a professional haircut (65%); signing up to a gym (33%); or having a salon nail manicure (24%).

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“That’s why we are running the Love Your Ears campaign – to encourage more people to prioritise their hearing and get tested,” explained Laura. “Unlike an eye test, it’s free to get a hearing test on the high street and if you choose to have your test at Hidden Hearing this month, you’ll be helping to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society – we’re donating money to the charity for every free hearing test booked in clinics across Scotland in the run-up to World Alzheimer’s Day and attended before the end of October.”

To book a free hearing test and support the Alzheimer’s Society, visit www.hiddenhearing.co.uk/hearing-loss-dementia

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