Recent studies by Dr. Frank Lin at John Hopkins University found that participants with hearing loss were significantly more likely to develop dementia. Compared to participants with normal hearing, the risk of dementia doubled among those with mild hearing loss, tripled among those with moderate hearing loss and increased fivefold among those with severe hearing loss. This result is too serious to ignore, so if you or someone close to you suspects that a hearing loss may exist, a free hearing test will confirm what level of loss is present, so it can be addressed before it gets worse.