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 gradual process. Half of people older than 75 have difficulty with their hearing, as a matter of fact.

Presbycusis

The slowly advancing condition of hearing loss as we get older is commonly known as presbycusis. Normally, there will be a variety of elements contributing to this condition.

As we get older, our ears go through changes. There are tiny hair cells in our inner ear that help us to hear. They pick up sound waves and change them into nerve signals that our brain utilizes to translate sound.

When these little hair cells become damaged or die, hearing loss is the result. Hearing loss that is the consequence of damage to these hairs is permanent as these hairs never restore.

A few of the triggers of hearing loss include the following:

• Loud noises like going to concerts frequently or working in an environment with continual loud noise.
• Hearing loss risk is raised by certain drugs including chemotherapy drugs.
• Hearing loss runs in familiess.
• The risk of hearing loss is increased by frequently listening to loud music, particularly with headphones.
• Hearing loss can be the outcome of numerous medical conditions, including diabetes.
• The risk of hearing loss is raised by smoking.

Some common symptoms of age-related hearing loss

Common symptoms of presbycusis include lack of clarity when people speak, difficulty hearing soft voices including children, and difficulty hearing when there’s 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

Untreated hearing loss reduces quality of life. Untreated hearing loss is connected to depression, despair, anxiety, mental decline, diminishing social relationships, and the risk of dementia.

These problems can, to a great extent, be avoided by having your hearing loss treated with solutions such as hearing aids, telephone amplifiers, lip reading, a cochlear implant, or if your hearing loss is extreme, sign language.

Suffering with age-related hearing loss isn’t something that anybody should have to do. There are ways to take pleasure in your life again.

If you or someone you love is struggling 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