Is age a factor in the development of hearing loss? Hearing loss is a common slowly developing condition that impacts all adults. Half of people older than 75 have trouble with their hearing, as a matter of fact.
Presbycusis
Presbycusis is defined as age-related hearing loss or the gradual process of hearing loss as we age. There’s no one definitive cause for this to happen, but it is usually considered to be a combo of many factors.
Changes happen in our inner ear as we age. There are little 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 translate sound.
When these little hair cells become damaged or destroyed, hearing loss is the consequence. Hearing loss that is the result of damage to these hairs is permanent as these hairs never restore.
A few of the triggers of hearing loss include the following:
- Hearing loss risk is raised by some drugs including chemotherapy drugs.
- Exposure to loud noise frequently over long time periods.
- Various medical disorders including diabetes can result in hearing loss.
- Wearing headphones when listening to loud music can increase the risk.
- Hearing loss runs in familiess.
- The risk of hearing loss is raised by smoking.
Some typical symptoms of age-related hearing loss
When you have a tough time making out soft voices, children’s voices, voices when there is a lot of background noise, and an overall lack of resolution when somebody talks are all symptoms of Presbycusis.
Other signs of hearing loss include frequently 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. Anxiety, depression, sadness, social withdrawal, jeopardized relationships, and an increased risk of developing dementia are all ways that neglected hearing loss can have a negative effect on your quality of life.
Instead of these issues, consider possible treatments, including hearing aids, sign language for those who have extreme 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.
If you or somebody you love is coping with hearing loss, contact us today to schedule a hearing assessment!
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