ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) —Sponsored by Lemme Audiology and Associates Did you know that untreated hearing loss can be linked to early onset dementia. We sit down with Dr. Karen Lemme of Lemme Audiology and Associates to learn more about hearing loss and what it can lead to if not treated.

“With untreated hearing loss, you are 3X more likely to develop early onset dementia with a moderate hearing loss, and 5X as likely to develop with a severe hearing loss that is not treated,” says Dr. Lemme.

Dr. Lemme says a lot of times with hearing loss, people don’t want to think about it because they think it automatically classifies them as getting older. “It’s all age ranges, the ages are really irrelevant. The sooner you get treatment for hearing loss the better you are,” says Dr. Lemme.

Lemme Audiology and Associates is offering a special offer throughout the month of May. “As part of our evaluation one of our tests is a cognitive screening, which isn’t covered by insurance, so through the month of May we are going to offer you that cognitive screening for $50,”

“With hearing loss, what they have found is the longer that you don’t provide that signal to the brain, you can then have what they call auditory deprivation and what that is, is you’re depriving the sound from getting to the brain,” says Dr. Lemme. She says if you wait too long to get treated, there could be irreparable damage done.