Does hearing loss get worse as you age? Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting all adults as they age, but it is a slow process. Half of people older than 75 have difficulty with their hearing, as a matter of fact.
Presbycusis
The slowly progressing condition of hearing loss as we age is generally known as presbycusis. Normally, there will be a combination of factors contributing to this condition.
As we age, our ears go through changes. There are little hair cells in your ears that detect waves of sound and communicate the signals to the brain to be interpreted as sound.
The onset of hearing loss takes place when the hair cells are damaged or destroyed. These hair cells don’t regenerate or grow back, so any hearing loss is irreversible.
A few of the triggers of hearing loss include the following:
- Heredity plays a factor in hearing loss.
- Certain medicines including chemotherapy drugs increase the risk.
- Smoking raises the risk of hearing loss.
- The risk of hearing loss is increased by regularly listening to loud music, particularly with headphones.
- Loud noises like going to concerts regularly or working in a setting with continual loud noise.
- Various medical disorders including diabetes can lead to hearing loss.
Some common symptoms of age-related hearing loss
Typical symptoms of presbycusis include lack of clearness when people talk, trouble hearing soft voices like kids, and difficulty hearing when there’s background sound.
Other signs of hearing loss include regularly asking people to repeat what they said, ringing in the ears, and needing to turn the volume up on the TV.
The benefit of treating age-related hearing loss
Quality of life will be negatively impacted by untreated hearing loss. Anxiety, depression, despair, social isolation, jeopardized relationships, and an increased risk of developing dementia are all ways that neglected hearing loss can have a negative impact on your quality of life.
These issues can, to a great degree, be avoided by having your hearing loss treated with strategies such as hearing aids, telephone amplifiers, lip reading, a cochlear implant, or if your hearing loss is extreme, sign language.
Struggling with age-related hearing loss isn’t something that anyone should have to do. You can still live a complete and enjoyable life.
Contact us today to schedule your hearing examination and to discuss the best treatments for your hearing loss or for someone 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
