Is age a factor in the development of hearing loss? Hearing loss is a common gradually advancing condition that affects all adults. Actually, over one half of people 75 and older have trouble hearing.
Presbycusis
Presbycusis is defined as age-related hearing loss or the slow process of hearing loss as we age. There’s no one definitive cause for this occurrence, but it is normally considered a combo of many factors.
Changes occur in our inner ear as we get older. There are little hair cells in your ears that pick up waves of sound and communicate the signals to the brain to be translated as sound.
When these little hair cells become damaged or die, hearing loss is the consequence. These hair cells do not restore or grow back, so any hearing loss is permanent.
A few of the causes of hearing loss include the following:
- Heredity plays a role in hearing loss.
- Exposure to loud sound frequently over long periods of time.
- Hearing loss risk is increased by certain medications including chemotherapy drugs.
- The risk of hearing loss is increased by regularly listening to loud music, particularly with headphones.
- Smoking increases the risk of hearing loss.
- Hearing loss can be the result of several medical conditions, including diabetes.
Some typical symptoms of age-related hearing loss
Typical symptoms of presbycusis include lack of clarity when people speak, difficulty hearing soft voices like children, and difficulty hearing when there’s background sound.
Other indicators of hearing loss include regularly needing people to repeat what they said, ringing in the ears, and needing to turn up the volume on the TV.
The benefit of managing age-related hearing loss
Untreated hearing loss reduces quality of life. Neglected hearing loss is connected to depression, despair, stress, cognitive decline, poor social relationships, and the risk of dementia.
Rather than dealing with these issues, consider possible treatments, such as hearing aids, sign language for people with severe hearing loss, telephone amplifiers, lip reading, or a cochlear implant.
Suffering with age-related hearing loss isn’t something that anybody should have to do. You can still live a complete and enjoyable life.
Consult with us today to schedule your hearing examination and to discuss the best treatments for your hearing loss or for somebody you love.
References
Older Adults — Hearing Health Foundation
Hearing Loss: A Common Problem for Older Adults | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)
Seniors and Hearing Loss – American Academy of Audiology
