Understanding hearing loss and cognitive degeneration in the menopause
Dear friends,
The menopause is a time of great change in our lives, and perhaps you’ve noticed that your hearing isn’t quite the same? You’re not alone.
Today, let’s take some time together to understand this fascinating phenomenon and discover how to turn it into an opportunity to take care of our cognitive health.
Our body's hormonal orchestration
Our hormones are the real conductors of our bodies. Oestrogens, in particular, play a crucial role that we don’t always realise. They protect our nervous system and play an active role in the transmission of auditory signals to our brain.
The fascinating dialogue between ear and brain
Your auditory system is like an ultra-sophisticated communication network. Each sound picked up by your ears triggers a cascade of reactions and events in your brain. The hair cells, ultra-sensitive microphones, transform sound vibrations into electrical signals that our brain then decodes to give them meaning. During the menopause, this system can become more vulnerable.
During the menopause, their gradual decline can have an impact on our hearing, particularly in the delicate hair cells of our inner ear. It’s as if our hearing system were gradually losing its natural protective shield. But don’t panic! Our bodies have a remarkable capacity to adapt, and science is providing us with new solutions every day.
The impact of the menopause on our hearing system
When our hearing starts to fail, our brains have to work harder to understand conversations. It’s like trying to read a book with some of the letters erased – you can do it, but it takes more effort and energy.
Our brain is like a city with millions of roads, our neuronal connections. Good hearing helps to keep these roads well maintained. When hearing declines, certain roads may become less frequented, which can affect their ‘maintenance’.
Stress management: an often neglected necessity
Chronic stress can have a major impact on our heart health. Meditation and deep breathing, practised for even a few minutes a day, are effective ways of regulating this stress. It’s essential to cultivate fulfilling social relationships and share your concerns with those close to you. Sleep also plays a major role: seven to eight hours a night allows the body to regenerate effectively.
Recharging activities such as reading, gardening, music or art therapy help to maintain an emotional balance that is good for the heart. Relaxation techniques such as sophrology or self-hypnosis can be a useful addition to this anti-stress arsenal.
The biological mechanisms involved
On a biological level, the drop in oestrogen makes our cells more exposed to oxidative stress. It’s as if our natural anti-rust defence system becomes less effective. The menopause can also slightly increase inflammation in our bodies, which can affect both our hearing and our cognition. Hormonal changes can also alter our blood circulation, including to our ears and brain.
Practical solutions to preserve your hearing
Fortunately, there are a number of practical, scientifically-proven solutions to these changes. Early detection is essential: don’t wait to have your hearing checked. Modern audiograms are complete check-ups of your hearing system and can detect the slightest changes long before you notice them yourself.
Technological innovations at your service
Hearing aids have come a long way. Forget the bulky devices of yesteryear! Today’s models are real technological gems that adapt automatically to your environment and can even connect to your smartphone, all in absolute discretion.
The importance of cognitive stimulation
Cognitive stimulation plays a crucial role. Specific listening exercises, auditory memory games and even music therapy can make a real difference. An anti-inflammatory diet rich in essential nutrients actively helps to protect our auditory and cognitive systems.
The vital role of physical activity
Regular physical exercise acts as a real protective shield by improving blood flow to the brain and ears, reducing systemic inflammation, and promoting the production of neurotrophic factors that protect our neurons. It also helps maintain a healthy weight, which is important for our hormonal balance.
Stress management and emotional well-being
Stress management is just as important, as it can amplify the effects of the menopause on our hearing and cognition. Mindfulness meditation, yoga, deep breathing and progressive relaxation are all valuable tools for maintaining our balance.
The importance of social relationships
Social relationships play a fundamental role in our cognitive health. Conversation naturally stimulates our brain and auditory system. It’s crucial to maintain active social links, whether by joining discussion groups, taking part in group activities or simply keeping in regular contact with those close to us.
Treatment options available
Hormone replacement therapy may be an option to discuss with your doctor. It can help slow nerve cell loss, maintain better blood circulation, reduce inflammation and protect hearing cells. This decision should be taken in the light of your personal situation and medical history.
Daily adjustments for your well-being
In your daily routine, a few adjustments can make a big difference. Get into the habit of taking breaks in noisy environments and positioning yourself strategically during group conversations. Never hesitate to ask for repetition if necessary. Using subtitles when watching programmes can also ease your listening effort.
Walk into the future with confidence!
Every day, research is making progress in understanding the links between menopause, hearing and cognition. New therapeutic solutions are regularly developed. The important thing is to remain proactive and positive in the face of these changes.
Remember that the menopause is a natural transition, not an illness. It’s an opportunity to take even better care of ourselves and put in place habits that will support us for years to come. You now have all the tools you need to take care of your hearing and cognitive health.
You are part of a community of strong, resilient women, capable of transforming every challenge into an opportunity for growth. The key is to be kind to yourself, listen to your body and seek support when you need it. Your hearing and cognitive health deserve your full attention, because they are at the heart of your quality of life.
Together, we’re stronger. Take care of yourself!
Gravity and wrinkles are fine with me. They’re a small price to pay for the new wisdom inside my head and my heart.
When you’re young, there’s so much now that you can’t take it in. It’s pouring over you like awaterfall. When you’re older, it’s less intense, but you’re able to reach out and drink it. I love being older.
I see menopause as the start of the next fabulous phase of life as a woman. Now is a time to ‘tune in’ to our bodies and embrace this new chapter. If anything, I feel more myself and love my body more now, at 58 years old, than ever before.
All of a sudden I don’t mind saying to people, ‘You know what? Get out of my life. You’re not right for me.’ It’s wonderful and liberating.
If you deal with it in a healthy fashion then I think you come out the other side a better person. I’ve got so much more energy now than I ever had in my early 50s before the menopause.
The very best way that you can help yourself is to develop and sustain a positive attitude. The way you think and feel about everything will make all the difference to your experience.
Menopause. A pause while you reconsider men.
A study says owning a dog makes you 10 years younger. My first thought was to rescue two more, but I don’t want to go through menopause again.
Women are always being tested … but ultimately, each of us has to define who we are individually and then do the very best job we can to grow into it.
Confidence comes with age, and looking beautiful comes from the confidence someone has in themselves.
I think our bodies are beautiful, and I think celebrating them and being comfortable in them—no matter what age you are—is important. There shouldn’t be any kind of shame or discomfort around it.
I don’t think of getting older as looking better or worse; it’s just different. You change, and that’s okay.
For you, it’s a joke, but think about it for me, everything is going south. Menopause is one of themost significant things that happens to women. As someone who is in that phase, it is very frightening, because everything is basically out of your control.
The anticipation of a problem creates bigger problems than it really is. One has to adapt to alifestyle change to remain in the best of health. What works for one in their 30s or 40s cannot workin your 50s. You need to understand what you are getting into and make those small changes. One can have methi to regulate hormones. Zinc too. Start exercising, limit your alcohol intake if you drink and get into bed earlier.
I didn’t know what peri menopause was, I thought after a certain age we go through pre menopause up to 10 years before menopause? But did you know you could go through perimenopause up to 10 years before menopause ? It’s like the body is getting ready for menopause?
Menopause is considered as a “problem” rather than something normal every women experience.There’s a very important message behind it because what we’re saying here is that there are noexpiration dates for women.
I have a very healthy baseline, and also, well, I was experiencing hormone shifts because of infertility, having to take shots and all that,” Obama explained. “I experienced the night sweats, even in my 30s, and when you think of the other symptoms that come along, just hot flashes, I mean, I had a few before I started taking hormones.
Menopause is like autumn leaves falling; it’s a natural shedding of the old to make way for the new.
Gravity and wrinkles are fine with me. They’re a small price to pay for the new wisdom inside my head and my heart.
When you’re young, there’s so much now that you can’t take it in. It’s pouring over you like awaterfall. When you’re older, it’s less intense, but you’re able to reach out and drink it. I love being older.