Addressing Hearing Loss When You Have Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease
Published on October 09, 2026
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Hearing loss can make it hard to join in conversations and stay social, and when you have early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, it can also affect your brain function.
“When hearing loss affects the ability to process the information we need to stay engaged in conversation and on tasks, this can make the brain less efficient and resilient over time,” says Claudia Perez, MD, a neurologist and an associate professor at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.
You can improve your hearing with hearing aids or other technology, which can help you stay connected with others, communicate better, and slow down cognitive decline (failing brain function).
How Hearing Loss Affects Brain Health
Hearing loss affects the structure of your brain and can push you to avoid social connection, which can also cause cognitive decline.
Thinking Overload
“When you struggle to hear, it takes more effort to follow a conversation, and that work draws on the attention and memory that Alzheimer’s is already straining,” says Angela Hsu, MD, a geriatrician with Kaiser Permanente in McLean, Virginia. “Your brain focuses more on figuring out words instead of remembering them.”
When you catch only snippets, your brain can’t participate in other parts of communication, like paying attention to the topic or trying to remember what’s being said, says Perez.
Social Isolation
“When conversations get tiring and frustrating, you’re less likely to socialize,” says Dr. Hsu. Social isolation can make cognitive symptoms (dementia) worse. Isolation can lead to depression and increases your risk for dementia, says Hsu.
Brain Atrophy
Everyone experiences some brain shrinkage and neuron (brain cell) loss as the years pass. But brain atrophy means you’ve lost more than makes sense for your age. Both hearing loss and Alzheimer’s can speed up these brain changes.
Are You Experiencing Hearing Loss?
Some people know they can’t hear as well as they used to. For others it develops so gradually that family members or friends are often the first to notice.
Here are some signs that you may have hearing loss, according to our experts.
- Needing to turn up the TV often
- Asking people to repeat things
- Difficulty hearing in loud environments like restaurants
- Difficulty keeping up with conversations
- Responding incorrectly to questions
- Ringing or buzzing in your ears
“While many things can lead to these symptoms and scenarios, if you notice that it is happening more often, you might want to get your hearing checked to ensure that this might not be contributing,” says Perez.
If you notice these signs in a loved one, don’t assume their memory is getting worse — check for hearing loss first, says Hsu.
Get Assessed for Hearing Loss
Once you suspect you may have hearing loss, a healthcare provider can perform tests to measure how well you hear.
“Begin by booking an appointment with your primary care doctor, who can look for issues like earwax and then arrange for you to see an audiologist for a hearing assessment,” says Hsu. “Bring someone you can trust so they can describe changes they've observed and help you remember the next steps.”
You may need one or more of these tests to diagnose hearing loss:
- Examination Your provider looks in your ear for earwax buildup or infection.
- Whisper Test You cover one ear at a time and listen to words spoken loudly, quietly, and in between.
- Tuning Fork Test Tuning forks make a specific sound, which can help providers find hearing loss and the location of ear damage.
- Audiometer Test These thorough tests done by an audiologist use more specialized equipment to assess your hearing.
Choose and Adapt Hearing Solutions
Treating hearing loss can help people with Alzheimer’s communicate better, which can improve quality of life, says Hsu. Depending on your goals and needs, you can choose between hearing aids or other devices.
Pick a Hearing Aid
When choosing a hearing aid, your provider can help you navigate the best option for your hearing loss type and severity. You may also want to think about factors like cost, style, and other features like Bluetooth capability and volume that adjusts automatically depending on your surroundings.
Build a Wear and Care Routine
It may take some time to get used to a hearing aid. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by too much sound all at once, says Perez, who recommends trying your hearing aid in quieter environments first.
“Individuals who have Alzheimer’s are about twice as likely to give up using their hearing aids during the first year,” says Hsu. You can help yourself remember by building hearing aid use into your normal morning routine, just as you would with glasses, she says. “A family member can help with reminders.”
It’s also important to clean your hearing aid because wax and moisture can affect how well it works. Wipe it every day with a soft cloth, and clean wax buildup with a soft brush once a week.
Check In and Ask for Help
If your hearing aids feel uncomfortable or you don’t think that they’re helping, talk to your audiologist to see if the fit or settings need adjusting, says Hsu.
At follow-up visits, your hearing specialist can make sure your hearing aid is working as it should. “And if cost or small controls are a barrier, say so, because they need to work for your daily life,” says Hsu.
Consider Other Assistive Technology
“If prescription hearing aids are too expensive or not comfortable, over-the-counter hearing amplifiers can also be tried,” says Hsu. One assistive listening device, called a hearing loop, sends sound from a microphone to a metal coil in a receiver — a device you wear or hold to your ear.
Other assistive devices send sound to a receiver through:
- Bluetooth
- FM radio
- Infrared light
- Wi-Fi
Many video call providers, streaming services, and even cinemas offer closed captioning, which allows you to read what is being said on-screen. Some mobile apps also offer assisted listening solutions.
Environmental Adjustments and Communication Tips
Even if your hearing aids work well, it’s vital to pay attention to your environment and how you communicate. Our experts recommend these tips for effective communication with hearing loss and early-stage Alzheimer’s:
- Reduce background noise (for example, mute the TV).
- Face your conversation partner at eye level.
- Take turns speaking, so only one person speaks at a time.
- If you have trouble hearing, ask the speaker to slow down.
- When possible, choose rooms with carpeting or other soft surfaces to dull bouncing sound.
- Have conversations in well-lit areas so you can see facial features.
You can also ask your conversation partner to speak clearly without shouting or over-exaggerating words, says Hsu.
Resources We Trust
- Mayo Clinic: Hearing Aids: How to Choose the Right One
- Cleveland Clinic: Is There a Connection Between Hearing Loss and Dementia?
- Alzheimer's Society: Hearing Loss and the Risk of Dementia
- Hearing Loss Association of America: Hearing Assistive Technology
- National Council on Aging: How to Choose the Right Hearing Aids
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Zhao HB et al. Hearing Loss Promotes Alzheimer’s Disease. Nature Aging. April 2024.
- Hearing Loss: Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic. July 31, 2026.
- Reed NS et al. Hearing Intervention, Social Isolation, and Loneliness. JAMA Internal Medicine. May 12, 2025.
- Pike JR et al. Cognitive Benefits of Hearing Intervention Vary by Risk of Cognitive Decline: A Secondary Analysis of the ACHIEVE Trial. Alzheimer’s and Dementia. May 14, 2025.
- Hearing Loss and the Risk of Dementia. Alzheimer's Society.
- Zhao H et al. Sensorineural Hearing Loss and Cognitive Impairment: Three Hypotheses. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. February 28, 2024.
- Luchetti M et al. A Meta-Analysis of Loneliness and Risk of Dementia Using Longitudinal Data From >600,000 Individuals. Nature Mental Health. October 9, 2024.
- Brain Atrophy. Cleveland Clinic. March 10, 2022.
- Fitzhugh MC et al. Longitudinal Changes in Resting-State Functional Connectivity and Gray Matter Volume Are Associated With Conversion to Hearing Impairment in Older Adults. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2022.
- Five Early Signs of Hearing Loss You Shouldn’t Ignore. NYU Langone Hospitals. October 13, 2025.
- Hearing Loss: Diagnosis and Treatment. Mayo Clinic. July 31, 2026.
- Hearing Aids. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. October 11, 2022.
- Clark M. Hearing Aids: An Audiologist Answers Frequently Asked Questions. Rush University Medical Center. March 11, 2026.
- How to Choose the Right Hearing Aids. National Council on Aging. November 28, 2025.
- Powell DS et al. Dementia and Hearing Aid Use and Cessation: A National Study. American Journal of Audiology. December 4, 2023.
- Hearing Aids: How to Choose the Right One. Mayo Clinic. April 4, 2025.
- Assistive Listening Systems. Hearing Loss Association of America.
- Captioning. Hearing Loss Association of America.
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- Kacker A. Living With Hearing Loss. MedlinePlus. April 3, 2025.
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Sylvia Mohen, MD
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Sylvia Mohen, MD, is a board-certified neurologist working full time at New York Neurology Associates. She completed her training at Albert Einstein Montefiore and did a fellowship...
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Abby McCoy is an experienced registered nurse who has worked with adults and pediatric patients encompassing trauma, orthopedics, home care, transplant, and case management. She is...