Recent studies show that untreated hearing loss increases the risk of dementia. Why? Because the brain works harder to process sound, which reduces its capacity to handle other tasks. Protecting your hearing protects your brain.Recent studies show that untreated hearing loss increases the risk of dementia. Why? Because the brain works harder to process sound, which reduces its capacity to handle other tasks. Protecting your hearing protects your brain.Recent studies show that untreated hearing loss increases the risk of dementia. Why? Because the brain works harder to process sound, which reduces its capacity to handle other tasks. Protecting your hearing protects your brain.