Is age a factor in the development of hearing loss? Hearing loss is a common slowly advancing condition that affects all adults. Half of people over the age of 75 have trouble with their hearing, as a matter of fact.
Presbycusis
Presbycusis is defined as age-related hearing loss or the slow process of hearing loss as we get older. There’s no one definitive cause for this to happen, but it is typically considered to be a combination of many factors.
As we age, our ears undergo changes. There are little hair cells in your ears that detect waves of sound and transmit the signals to the brain to be interpreted as sound.
The onset of hearing loss occurs when the hair cells are damaged or die. Hearing loss that is the result of damage to these hairs is irreversible as these hairs never restore.
Some of the causes of hearing loss include the following:
- Exposure to loud noise consistently over long periods of time.
- Hearing loss runs in familiess.
- The risk of hearing loss is raised by smoking.
- Hearing loss risk is raised by certain medications including chemotherapy drugs.
- Hearing loss can be the outcome of several medical conditions, including diabetes.
- Using headphones when listening to loud music can increase the risk.
Typical symptoms of age-related hearing loss
Common symptoms of presbycusis include lack of clearness when people speak, trouble hearing soft voices like kids, and trouble hearing when there is background sound.
Other indicators of hearing loss include regularly asking people to repeat what they said, ringing in the ears, and needing to turn the volume up on the TV.
Treating age-related hearing loss is important
Quality of life will be negatively impacted by untreated hearing loss. Untreated hearing loss is linked to depression, sadness, anxiousness, cognitive decline, diminishing social relationships, and the risk of dementia.
Instead of these problems, think about possible treatments, including hearing aids, sign language for people who have severe hearing loss, telephone amplifiers, lip reading, or a cochlear implant.
No one should need to cope with age-related hearing loss. There are ways to take pleasure in your life again.
If you or somebody you love is struggling with hearing loss, call us today to schedule a hearing assessment!
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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