If you're over 65, you likely struggle sometimes to hear conversations clearly, but ignoring that may prompt even more serious health problems, experts say.

If left unchecked, hearing loss can lead to social isolation and depression -- two conditions known to raise dementia risk, said Dr. Leah Ross, a physician in the Di...

Folks think of big city life as an ear-blasting festival of noise -- taxi horns honking, jackhammers pounding, police sirens wailing and jet planes roaring overhead.

But rural residents actually have a higher rate of hearing loss in both ears than city dwellers do, a new study finds.

Men are also more likely than women to suffer hearing loss, with the highest rates seen among white ...

A hearing aid's first purpose is fairly obvious, but a new study argues that the devices also provide an important second benefit -- a longer life.

"We found that adults with hearing loss who regularly used hearing aids had a 24% lower risk of mortality than those who never wore them,"said lead researcher Dr. Janet Choi, an oto...

It's now been possible to buy a hearing aid over-the-counter for nearly a year, but few Americans are doing so.

More education is needed about just who these over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids can help, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). It polled more than 2,200 Americans about the issue in late June and early July.

Just 2% of respondents aged 40...

If you're hard of hearing and at higher risk for dementia, hearing aids could be a win-win.

New research, published July 18 in The Lancet, finds hearing aids might reduce thinking declines in older adults --but only in those at higher risk of dementia.

"Th...

Can treating hearing loss lower your chances of developing dementia down the road?

Maybe, claims new research that found that folks who are experiencing hearing loss and don't use a hearing aid may have a higher risk of developing dementia than people who use hearing aids and those without hearing loss.

The study wasn't designed to say how untreated hearing loss may up the risk...

Could losing your hearing as you age be a harbinger of dementia?

Maybe, suggests new research that found that older people who had trouble hearing were more likely to develop dementia down the road. But there's good news with the bad: Hearing aids -- which are now available over-the-counter at much lower prices -- may reduce this risk.

"There is evidence that hearing loss cause...

Over-the-counter hearing aids now offer older Americans a more affordable option to deal with mild to moderate hearing loss.

But some hard-of-hearing seniors already tote around a device that might help just as much -- the wireless earbuds they use with their smartphone or computer.

Commercial earbuds can perform as well as hearing aids in certain settings, researchers concluded in ...

It's official: Older Americans with hearing loss can now stroll into a big box store or pharmacy -- or just visit a website -- and buy hearing aids without a prescription.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved this