Is age a factor in the development of hearing loss? Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions impacting all adults as they get older, but it’s a slow process. 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 slow process of hearing loss as we age. There’s no one definitive cause for this occurrence, but it is usually considered to be a combination of many factors.

Changes happen in our inner ear as we get older. There are little hair cells in your ears that detect waves of sound and transmit the signals to the brain to be translated as sound.

When these little hair cells become damaged or destroyed, hearing loss is the outcome. Hearing loss that is the outcome of damage to these hairs is permanent as these hairs never regenerate.

The following are a few causes of hearing loss:

• Heredity plays a factor in hearing loss.
• Exposure to loud noise consistently over long time periods.
• The risk of hearing loss is increased by frequently listening to loud music, especially with headphones.
• Smoking raises the risk of hearing loss.
• Hearing loss risk is increased by specific drugs including chemotherapy drugs.
• Specific medical conditions like diabetes can lead to hearing loss.

Some common symptoms of age-related hearing loss

Common symptoms of presbycusis include lack of clearness when people speak, trouble hearing soft voices like kids, and difficulty hearing when there is background sound.

Additionally, increasing the TV volume, asking people to repeat what they said, and ringing in your ears can also be signs of hearing loss.

The importance of treating age-related hearing loss

Quality of life will be negatively impacted by untreated hearing loss. Neglected hearing loss is linked to depression, sadness, anxiousness, cognitive decline, poor social relationships, and the risk of dementia.

Rather than dealing with these issues, think about possible treatments, including hearing aids, sign language for individuals with extreme 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 somebody you love is struggling with hearing loss, call 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