Does hearing loss get worse as you age? Hearing loss is a common slowly advancing condition that impacts all adults. Half of people older than 75 have difficulty 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 get older. There is no one definitive cause for this occurrence, but it is usually considered to be a combination of many factors.
As we get older, our ears go through changes. There are tiny hair cells in your ears that pick up waves of sound and communicate the signals to the brain to be interpreted as sound.
The onset of hearing loss happens when the hair cells are damaged or die. Hearing loss that is the consequence of damage to these hairs is permanent as these hairs never restore.
A few of the causes of hearing loss include the following:
- The risk of hearing loss is increased by smoking.
- Various medical disorders like diabetes can lead to hearing loss.
- Hearing loss risk is raised by specific medications including chemotherapy drugs.
- Hearing loss runs in familiess.
- Wearing headphones when listening to loud music can increase the risk.
- Loud noises such as going to concerts regularly or working in a setting with consistent loud noise.
Typical symptoms of age-related hearing loss
When you have trouble making out soft voices, kid’s voices, voices when there is a lot of background sound, and an overall lack of resolution when somebody talks are all symptoms of Presbycusis.
In addition, increasing the TV volume, asking people to repeat what they said, and ringing in your ears can also be indications of hearing loss.
Treating age-related hearing loss is essential
Untreated hearing loss decreases quality of life. Untreated hearing loss is connected to depression, despair, anxiety, cognitive decline, poor social relationships, and the risk of dementia.
Rather than dealing with these issues, consider possible treatments, such as hearing aids, sign language for people who have extreme hearing loss, telephone amplifiers, lip reading, or a cochlear implant.
No one should suffer with age-related hearing loss. There are ways to take pleasure in your life again.
Consult with us today to schedule your hearing examination and to go over the best treatments for your hearing loss or for somebody you love.
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
