First and foremost, protecting your hearing health is critical. When you’re struggling to hear a noise (e.g., a conversation among your family members in a loud restaurant), your brain is forced to allocate additional cognitive resources to help you hear better. This means that noisy or distracting environments can make it even more difficult to process auditory stimuli. Over time, the strain on these cognitive functions can contribute to dementia pathology.

If you’re already struggling with hearing loss, consider speaking to your doctor about a hearing aid. While they don’t cure your hearing problems, they do amplify noises—which, in turn, ensures that your cognitive resources don’t become depleted. Avoiding loud, noisy environments (like concerts) or taking extra precautions (like using ear plugs) can also help protect your hearing capabilities. 

Of course, protecting your auditory processing is only one of many ways to help lower your risk of dementia. Other methods include: