Is age a factor in the advancement of hearing loss? Hearing loss is a common slowly progressing condition that affects all adults. In fact, over 50% of people 75 and older have trouble hearing.
Presbycusis
The slowly progressing condition of hearing loss as we get older is commonly known as presbycusis. There’s no one definitive cause for this occurrence, but it is normally considered a combination of many factors.
Changes happen in our inner ear as we grow older. There are tiny hair cells in your ears that pick up waves of sound and transmit the signals to the brain to be translated as sound.
The onset of hearing loss takes place when the hair cells become damaged or destroyed. These hair cells do not regenerate or grow back, so any hearing loss is irreversible.
A few of the triggers of hearing loss include the following:
- Hearing loss can be the outcome of several medical conditions, including diabetes.
- Heredity plays a role in hearing loss.
- Hearing loss risk is increased by specific drugs including chemotherapy drugs.
- Loud noises such as going to concerts frequently or working in a setting with continual loud noise.
- The risk of hearing loss is increased by smoking.
- Using headphones when listening to loud music can increase the risk.
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 talks are all symptoms of Presbycusis.
Other indicators of hearing loss include frequently asking people to repeat what they said, ringing in the ears, and needing to crank the volume up on the TV.
The benefit of managing age-related hearing loss
Quality of life will be negatively impacted by neglected hearing loss. Anxiety, depression, despair, social withdrawal, compromised 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.
These issues can, to a great degree, 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 severe, sign language.
No one should need to cope with age-related hearing loss. You can still have a full and enjoyable life.
If you or someone you love is struggling 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