Is age a factor in the advancement of hearing loss? Hearing loss is a common gradually developing condition that affects all adults. Half of people older than 75 have trouble with their hearing, as a matter of fact.
Presbycusis
The slowly advancing condition of hearing loss as we age is generally known as presbycusis. There is no one definitive cause for this to happen, but it is usually considered to be a combo of many factors.
As we grow older, our ears go through 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.
When these little hair cells become damaged or die, hearing loss is the consequence. Hearing loss that is the result of damage to these hairs is irreversible as these hairs never restore.
The following are a few causes of hearing loss:
- The risk of hearing loss is raised by smoking.
- Using headphones when listening to loud music can increase the risk.
- Specific medical disorders like diabetes can result in hearing loss.
- Hearing loss runs in familiess.
- Exposure to loud sound consistently over long periods of time.
- Some medicines including chemotherapy drugs increase the risk.
Some common symptoms of age-related hearing loss
When you have a tough time hearing soft voices, kid’s voices, voices when there is a lot of background noise, and an overall lack of clarity when somebody speaks are all symptoms of Presbycusis.
Other indicators of hearing loss include regularly asking people to repeat what they said, ringing in the ears, and needing to crank up the volume on the TV.
Managing age-related hearing loss is important
Quality of life will be negatively affected by neglected hearing loss. Anxiousness, depression, despair, social isolation, 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.
Rather than dealing with these problems, think about possible treatments, such as hearing aids, sign language for those with severe hearing loss, telephone amplifiers, lip reading, or a cochlear implant.
No one should need to cope with age-related hearing loss. You can still live a complete and enjoyable life.
If you or someone you love is coping with hearing loss, contact 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