Is age a factor in the advancement of hearing loss? Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent conditions impacting all adults as they age, but it’s a slow process. In fact, over one half of those 75 and older have a hard time hearing.
Presbycusis
The slowly progressing condition of hearing loss as we get older is generally known as presbycusis. There’s no one definitive cause for this to happen, but it is normally considered to be a combo of many factors.
Changes happen in our inner ear as we age. There are tiny hair cells in our inner ear that help us to hear. They detect sound waves and change them into nerve signals that our brain uses to interpret sound.
When these tiny hair cells become damaged or die, hearing loss is the outcome. Hearing loss that is the outcome of damage to these hairs is permanent as these hairs never regenerate.
The following are a few causes of hearing loss:
- Heredity plays a role in hearing loss.
- Smoking raises the risk of hearing loss.
- The risk of hearing loss is increased by regularly listening to loud music, especially with headphones.
- Particular medications including chemotherapy drugs raise the risk.
- Specific medical disorders like diabetes can result in hearing loss.
- Loud noises such as going to concerts frequently or working in a setting with continual loud noise.
Typical symptoms of age-related hearing loss
Common symptoms of presbycusis include lack of clearness when people talk, difficulty hearing soft voices like children, and difficulty hearing when there is background sound.
In addition, raising the TV volume, asking others to repeat what they said, and ringing in your ears can also be signs of hearing loss.
The benefit of managing age-related hearing loss
Neglected hearing loss reduces quality of life. Anxiety, depression, despair, social withdrawal, jeopardized relationships, and an increased risk of developing dementia are all ways that untreated hearing loss can have a negative impact on your quality of life.
Instead of these problems, consider possible treatments, including hearing aids, sign language for individuals with severe hearing loss, telephone amplifiers, lip reading, or a cochlear implant.
Suffering with age-related hearing loss isn’t something that anyone should have to do. There are ways to enjoy your life again.
Contact us today to schedule your hearing test 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