Is age a factor in the development of hearing loss? Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting all adults as they get older, but it is a slow process. Actually, over 50% of those 75 and older have difficulty hearing.

Presbycusis

The slowly advancing condition of hearing loss as we age is generally known as presbycusis. There is no one definitive cause for this occurrence, but it is typically considered a combo of many factors.

Changes occur in our inner ear as we age. There are little hair cells in your ears that pick up waves of sound and transmit the signals to the brain to be interpreted as sound.

When these little hair cells become damaged or destroyed, hearing loss is the consequence. These hair cells don’t regenerate or grow back, so any hearing loss is irreversible.

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

• Hearing loss runs in familiess.
• Certain medical disorders like diabetes can lead to hearing loss.
• Loud noises such as going to concerts frequently or working in a setting with consistent loud noise.
• Particular medications including chemotherapy drugs raise the risk.
• Wearing headphones when listening to loud music can increase the risk.
• Smoking increases the risk of hearing loss.

Some typical symptoms of age-related hearing loss

When you have a hard time hearing soft voices, kid’s voices, voices when there is a lot of background sound, and an overall lack of clarity when somebody speaks are all symptoms of Presbycusis.

Other signs of hearing loss include regularly asking people to repeat what they said, ringing in the ears, and needing to turn up the volume on the TV.

Dealing with age-related hearing loss is important

Neglected hearing loss reduces quality of life. Untreated hearing loss is linked to depression, sadness, anxiety, cognitive decline, poor social relationships, and the risk of dementia.

Instead of these issues, consider possible treatments, including 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. There are ways to take pleasure in your life again.

Contact us today to schedule your hearing test and to talk about the best treatments for your hearing loss or for someone you love.

Call Today to Set Up an Appointment

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