Does hearing loss get worse as you age? Hearing loss is a common slowly advancing condition that impacts all adults. Half of people over the age of 75 have trouble with their hearing, as a matter of fact.
Presbycusis
The slowly progressing condition of hearing loss as we get older is commonly known as presbycusis. There is no one definitive cause for this to happen, but it is usually considered a combo of many factors.
Changes occur in our inner ear as we grow older. There are little hair cells in our inner ear that help us to hear. They detect sound waves and change them into nerve signals that our brain utilizes to interpret sound.
When these tiny hair cells become damaged or die, hearing loss is the consequence. Hearing loss that is the consequence of damage to these hairs is irreversible as these hairs never restore.
Some of the triggers of hearing loss include the following:
- Hearing loss runs in familiess.
- Hearing loss can be the outcome of several medical conditions, including diabetes.
- The risk of hearing loss is increased by frequently listening to loud music, particularly with headphones.
- Certain medicines including chemotherapy drugs increase the risk.
- Exposure to loud noise frequently over long periods of time.
- Smoking raises the risk of hearing loss.
Some typical symptoms of age-related hearing loss
Typical symptoms of presbycusis include lack of clarity when people talk, difficulty hearing soft voices including kids, and trouble hearing when there is background sound.
Other indicators of hearing loss include frequently needing 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, sadness, social withdrawal, jeopardized relationships, and an increased risk of developing dementia are all ways that untreated hearing loss can have a negative effect on your quality of life.
Rather than dealing with these problems, consider possible treatments, such as hearing aids, sign language for individuals who have severe hearing loss, telephone amplifiers, lip reading, or a cochlear implant.
Suffering with age-related hearing loss isn’t something that anybody should have to do. You can still live a full and enjoyable life.
Consult us today to schedule your hearing examination and to discuss the best treatments for your hearing loss or for someone you love.
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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