Accent Hearing Pty Ltd

31/01/2026

Your doctor checks your cholesterol every year. But never asks about the #1 modifiable dementia risk factor.
Hearing loss.

It accounts for 8% of all dementia cases. More than diabetes. More than smoking.

New study published 6 days ago: Hearing aids reduce dementia risk by 61% in people under 70.

61%.

No drug comes close to that effect size.

Yet less than 20% of people who need hearing aids use them.

Here's why hearing loss could be a cause of dementia:

1. Your brain works overtime decoding unclear sounds
↳ Diverts resources from memory and thinking
↳ Leads to cognitive exhaustion
↳ Accelerates mental decline

2. Social isolation doubles dementia risk
↳ Can't hear conversations, so you avoid them
↳ Stop going to restaurants, parties, gatherings
↳ Loneliness damages the brain

3. Auditory cortex shrinks when not used
↳ "Use it or lose it" applies to hearing
↳ Brain regions atrophy without stimulation
↳ Cognitive reserve decreases

The research is clear:

ACHIEVE trial (2023): Hearing aids slowed cognitive decline by 48% over 3 years in adults 70-84.

Framingham Heart Study (2026): People under 70 with hearing aids had 61% lower dementia risk over 20 years.

Earlier intervention = bigger benefit.

Signs you might have hearing loss:

Asking people to repeat themselves
Trouble following conversations in noisy places
Turning TV volume up
Missing parts of conversations
Family members saying "You're not listening"
Avoiding social situations

If you're over 50 and notice any of these: Get tested.

Reference:
rezahg.com

20/12/2025

To all our followers, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas & A Happy New Year!

10/11/2025

11/11/11 to 11/11/25 and still going strong!

12/09/2025

This is great news! Accent Hearing is proud to be a member of Independent Audiologists Australia as the leading organisation informing ministerial decisions. A definitive win for Audiologists!

🎉 BREAKING: Audiologists will be included in AHPRA.
The National Health Ministers have officially agreed to regulate audiology under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS). This is a historic win for patient safety, professional recognition, and the future of our field.

🙏 Thanks to the incredible IAA Executive Team who initiated the call for regulation and led the push to protect our title as Audiologists.

💬 “Today, our exec is proud to be Audiologists.”

We extend our deepest thanks to the National Health Ministers for hearing IAA’s call and acting in the best interests of patients, practitioners, and the profession of audiology.

This milestone belongs to every audiologist who stood up for integrity, transparency, and the highest clinical standards.
And we’re just getting started.

07/09/2025

People ask us which is the best hearing aid. We say, 'The one that stays in your ear.'

20/06/2025

You've invested four hundred bucks in brain training apps, but your hearing aids are waiting to unlock new connections. Which one do you think will truly amplify your brainpower and open doors to new experiences? Your brain is craving more social stimulation, not solitary puzzles.

21/04/2025

Why is there a stigma associated with wearing hearing aids?
1. You'd rather ask for more than 1 repeat? (very taxing on family & friends who give up after a while and stop asking you questions)
2. You're not old enough? (When is 'old enough'?)
3. Can't be bothered? (too lazy and just ask for more repeats - see above)
4. Live by yourself? (there are safety reasons also, and brain health to keep you healthy, talking to people, avoiding social isolation)
5. Think your grandparents' hearing aids were too big & bulky? (you are way behind in hearing aid technology today)
6. Heard too many stories of people not wearing them? (you are listening to the wrong people who are very lazy and can't be bothered with them, so they just asking for more repeats!)
7. Have neighbours & friends stopped talking to you? (that's because you ask for repeats and they can't be bothered saying things 3 times!)
8. Will you look old? (you'll look much older if you keep asking for repeats, whilst bending your ears!).
9. They are not for you? (if you have hearing loss, then they are for you! - you won't know until you step into a hearing booth and be assessed - hearing loss creeps up on you without you knowing).
10. Can't accept you're old? (please get over this milestone and move on, as life is too short to miss friends, family & especially grandchildren's conversations)

Have your hearing assessed soon,

02/03/2025

Are you not hearing so well! Feeling a little lonely? Why not book an appointment to see a Doctor of Audiology in Glen Innes or Inverell soon, to send those “Are you listening to me” hearing complaints from family and friends away. Accent Hearing has been serving these areas for over 13 years, and can now take on more patients. Everyone’s getting older as you know, so why not do something now if your TV is too loud, are always asking for repeats, or having trouble in background noise. Call 66434044 now for an appointment.
If you are on an Australian Pension, hearing assessments don’t cost you anything. Private self-funded retirees can also be seen along with NSW WorkCover.

21/02/2025

Why do so many people delay seeking help for hearing loss? The stigma of hearing loss is a common thread, creating barriers that go beyond the practical and into the deeply personal.
Untreated hearing loss doesn't just affect the ability to hear; it impacts relationships, social participation, career performance, and overall quality of life.
How serious is the problem? A study published by the US National Institutes of Health showed that people with hearing loss wait an average of 8.9 years before seeking treatment. Significantly, the study found those with mild to moderate high frequency hearing loss (the most common type) wait even longer. Why the wait?
The ‘stigma’ is attached to hearing loss because either people don't think they're old enough to start wearing hearing aids, or the hearing aids are going to make the person wearing them look much older. However, in reality, if you think about, nobody else cares; it's all in the mind of the hearing impaired person.
Do you yourself look at a person wearing hearing aids and say "Wow, they look really old now". I don't think so. Again, you don't care, as long as they are getting out and about still enjoying life, rather than staying at home with the hearing loss.
At Accent Hearing, we see so many people who have waited far too long to do something about their loss, who are now in their 80's, have moderate to severe hearing losses, poor dexterity, have driven families into despair with them having to repeat things all the time, are quite slow in moving around and now want to try hearing aids! By then, sometimes it's way too late, as they can't manage to get them in their ears, the technology with connectivity to mobile phones these days is beyond them and they can't adapt to the louder sounds.
Brain plasticity (rewiring of neurons and assigning sound to different pathways of the brain) is a huge part of adapting to the normal sounds of daily life again. By the time you turn 80, things have slowed right down, including all mentioned above, not to mention cognitive abilities and your working memory of the brain. Your brain is using more cognitive capacity if you have hearing loss, having to focus more on listening skills and trying to read lips, making you feel more tired or exhausted. Don’t wait 8-10 years before doing something if you want to have a good relaxing life in your senior years with a hearing loss, your family and friends will be forever grateful.

10/02/2025

I knew it…

04/02/2025

Yeah, heard this a few times…

30/01/2025

Did you know….