David's Alzheimer's Fight
Hosted by David Uhlfelder, who is facing early-stage Alzheimer’s with resilience and humor, alongside co-host Dr. Karen Gilbert, this podcast shines a light on living well with the disease. Together, they share personal stories, expert insights, and practical tips to help others navigate the journey with strength, knowledge, and hope.
David's Alzheimer's Fight
Protecting your hearing could protect your mind.
A quiet hearing test might be the loudest message your brain ever gets. We dig into the surprising link between untreated hearing loss and dementia-like symptoms, and we share the simple, practical steps that keep your conversations clear and your cognition supported. Dave walks through his first exam and why establishing a baseline by age 50 (or sooner if you’re noticing signs) changes the game for long-term brain health.
This podcast shares insights, not medical advice. Please consult a professional for your care. Hi, this is Dave, and we're joined by Dr. Karen Gilbert, my co-host. And today we're going to be talking about hearing loss and how you can treat it.
SPEAKER_00:This is absolutely vital, David. Recent studies have determined 30% of people with new symptoms of dementia were actually traced to untreated hearing loss. That should be an easy one. So when you and I first spoke, I asked you, have you ever had a hearing exam? And you had not. So tell us what you did to address that possibility of hearing loss.
SPEAKER_01:Well, first I made an appointment. We had someone that Claire had gone to, my wife had gone to, and so I went to that doctor. And you know, I didn't know really what to expect, so to speak. But what they do is you you go into like a small booth and you put some headphones on, and they put different tones at different pitches and different volume, and you designate by pressing a button if you hear it. Well, that sounds pretty simple, but let me tell you, there's some of those that are really difficult. And that's where they're teaching, that's where they're actually testing your higher and lower frequency levels, which are very important. Maybe not quite as important as being able to hear it in general, but it certainly gives an indication. And those indications will be the ones that they can look at as well as a baseline. And that's what's so important to be able to have this baseline to be able to take care of these hearing loss.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. We we recommend that by age 50, everyone should have a baseline hearing exam. And certainly you don't wait until age 50 if you're having problems. If somebody's telling you you're shouting or telling you your TV is too loud, that's the time to get that hearing evaluated. And there are different types of hearing loss, as you said, and that means there are different types of hearing aids. So it might be important to have that specialist do the evaluation. I I know there are over-the-counter hearing aids available now. I don't think I would do that because maybe it's not addressing the specific problem I'm having. So I don't know. I really have no experience with the over-the-counters. Uh, but I had a first hearing evaluation about two years ago, and I have another one booked in a few months. Uh, now that I know how dramatically untreated hearing loss could contribute to symptoms of dementia, I want to keep tabs on it every few years, even if it's normal. I want to go back and make sure that my hearing is optimal. So, what did they tell you? Did they recommend any uh type of device for you?
SPEAKER_01:No, I did pretty good, they said. And one of the things I wanted to bring out too is first off, I'm of the generation of you know, the hippies and everything else, and there was a lot of rock and roll and the loud music, even today, you go to a wedding. I went to a wedding and my watch kept telling me to get out of there because it was too loud. It's amazing that people can sit there and listen to these things, and it hurts. I literally had to leave the room because it was just so loud. And that, even a short time period, an hour or two, can have an effect.
SPEAKER_00:It absolutely can. So it's important if you're going to events like that, you may want to bring some uh hearing device. They have them at drugstores that will reduce the depot uh decibels of very simple plugs that are comfortable to wear. I know I wear them to gym classes because they play the music very loud. My watch will tell me loud environment, 30 minutes at this uh level can damage your hearing. So, yeah, protect your hearing, be selfish about that. Uh, but do get those hearing exams so you know where you stand, and hopefully you're eliminating that as a risk factor for symptoms of dementia. So, thank you so much for listening to this mini podcast. We do have a longer segment recorded with Dr. Lindsay Gracie, an audiologist based in St. Lucie County, Florida. Uh, amazing information that she gave about just how hearing loss affects cognitive function uh and all the things we can do about it. So take advantage of that one as well. David, tell everybody how to access the podcast.
SPEAKER_01:The website is David Alzheimer'sfight.org. On that site, we have a lot of resources, and we also have links to all the different podcasts. And I also post things about other people's podcasts and so forth. So it's a very good resource to look at.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you so much. You can reach David by email, uh, David at David Alzheimer'sfight.org. You can reach me very simply, education at allzcare.org. That's alzcar.org. Uh, you can reach me by phone at 561 683 2700.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks for listening. And don't forget to like us on all social media sites that you can find and make sure to watch our podcast. Thank you so much. We are here on this earth as humans to help others. That's what I believe. Please note this podcast provides information only. Podcasts should not be considered professional advice or a substitute for professional advice. Viewers of the speakers do not necessarily reflect those of Alzheimer's Community Care or David Ufelder. Listeners and viewers are encouraged to consult with appropriate professionals and are responsible for how the information provided is used.
