Story at-a-glance Research has found that even mild hearing impairment significantly increases Parkinson's disease risk, suggesting hearing problems could be an early warning sign of neurodegeneration Parkinson's patients experience difficulties with both basic hearing and complex auditory processing, impacting their ability to understand speech and process sounds effectively in daily life Scientists discovered strong connections between hearing loss, dementia and Parkinson's disease severity, with hearing impairment being more prevalent in individuals with severe Parkinson's and dementia The relationship between hearing loss and neurodegeneration could be due to shared underlying mechanisms, including mitochondrial dysfunction and protein changes that affect both conditions Protecting cellular health through diet, toxin reduction and lifestyle modifications helps prevent neurodegenerative conditions by supporting mitochondrial function