While mild hearing loss, such as the inability to hear a watch ticking, a bird singing or the sound of quiet speech, may hardly seem drastic, it is equal to almost seven years of cognitive aging. Mild hearing loss can also increase a person’s likelihood of being stricken with dementia twofold as he or she grows older.

The likelihood for dementia increases with the severity of the hearing loss. For a person with moderate hearing loss, it increases threefold, and for someone with severe hearing loss, who can’t hear most speech, the potential for dementia increases five times over that of someone with normal hearing.

Hearing loss also causes strained relationships with friends and family. The mounting frustration over the inability to simply do what was so natural, before, such as carry on a conversation, can lead to depression, anxiety and even worse.

Hearing loss has long been viewed as nothing more than an inconvenience. It’s anything but that. Hearing loss is a serious medical condition that can cause people to withdraw from their lives.

It doesn’t have to be a terrible affliction, though. The solution could be as easy as removing excessive ear wax or as complicated as having surgery done or getting hearing aids. But, whatever the solution is, it’s worth the effort, because yours or your loved one’s ability to hear is worth the effort.