Does hearing loss get worse as you get older? Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent conditions impacting all adults as they age, but it is a gradual process. Half of people older than 75 have trouble with their hearing, as a matter of fact.
Presbycusis
The slowly advancing condition of hearing loss as we age is commonly known as presbycusis. There’s no one definitive cause for this occurrence, but it is normally considered a combo of many factors.
Changes occur in our inner ear as we age. There are little hair cells in your ears that pick up waves of sound and communicate the signals to the brain to be translated as sound.
When these tiny hair cells become damaged or destroyed, hearing loss is the consequence. These hair cells do not regenerate or grow back, so any hearing loss is irreversible.
The following are some causes of hearing loss:
- Exposure to loud noise consistently over long time periods.
- Certain medical conditions including diabetes can result in hearing loss.
- Smoking raises the risk of hearing loss.
- The risk of hearing loss is increased by frequently listening to loud music, especially with headphones.
- Hearing loss runs in familiess.
- Hearing loss risk is increased by some medications including chemotherapy drugs.
Common symptoms of age-related hearing loss
When you have difficulty hearing soft voices, kid’s voices, voices when there is a lot of background sound, and an overall lack of clarity when somebody speaks are all symptoms of Presbycusis.
Other signs of hearing loss include regularly needing people to repeat what they said, ringing in the ears, and needing to turn the volume up on the TV.
The importance of treating age-related hearing loss
Untreated hearing loss decreases quality of life. Untreated hearing loss is linked to depression, sadness, anxiety, cognitive decline, poor social relationships, and the risk of dementia.
Rather than dealing with these problems, think about possible treatments, like hearing aids, sign language for individuals who have extreme hearing loss, telephone amplifiers, lip reading, or a cochlear implant.
Struggling with age-related hearing loss isn’t something that anybody should have to do. You can still have a complete and enjoyable life.
If you or someone you love is coping with hearing loss, call 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