Does menopause cause hearing loss — and can untreated hearing loss raise your risk of dementia? Audiologist Dr. Mandy Rounseville-Norgaard, who has worn hearing aids since age 3, says yes to both, and almost no one is connecting the dots.

On this episode of Dialed In Health, host Melissa Goodwin sits down with Dr. Mandy at Audiology Associates in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (she also practices in Miramar Beach, Florida) to explain the estrogen–inner-ear connection, why hearing often declines in perimenopause and menopause, the link between untreated hearing loss and dementia, the first signs to watch for, the right age to get a baseline test, and how over-the-counter devices compare to medical-grade hearing aids.

• Why you can have real hearing loss and not know it
• What estrogen does for your hearing — and what happens in menopause
• The hearing loss–dementia connection, and whether hearing aids reduce the risk
• The first signs: tinnitus and trouble understanding speech in noise
• The age to get a baseline hearing test
• Costco, Amazon, and OTC vs. medical-grade hearing aids
• What speech mapping is and why fit is everything

0:00 The audiologist who has worn hearing aids since age 3
0:48 The menopause and hearing connection no one warns women about
2:37 Dr. Mandy's story
5:08 Why she became an audiologist
7:35 Ears vs. the brain
8:25 Why people wait 20 years
11:55 The first signs of hearing loss
13:53 What you risk by waiting
14:44 Hearing loss and dementia
18:02 OTC vs. medical-grade
21:00 Speech mapping and best practice
22:09 Perimenopause, estrogen, and your hearing
24:33 Myth-busters
30:07 Your first hearing appointment
31:31 The AirPods rule for your kids
32:08 The one thing to know
32:55 How to reach Audiology Associates

Dr. Mandy Rounseville-Norgaard, AuD, is an audiologist and owner of Audiology Associates in Sioux Falls, SD, with a second practice in Miramar Beach, FL. Book a baseline hearing evaluation: [INSERT PHONE] · [INSERT WEBSITE].

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This episode is educational and informational only and is not medical advice or a substitute for evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed provider.

[Full transcript appended below / linked to the dialedin.health episode page.]