Age-Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis)
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Age-Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis)
Hearing loss is a natural part of aging, often referred to as presbycusis or age-related hearing loss. As one of the most common sensory issues faced by older adults, presbycusis affects nearly 2 in 3 people over the age of 70 and can significantly impact communication and quality of life. In this blog, we’ll explore why hearing loss happens in old age, what presbycusis means, its symptoms, causes, and available treatments to help manage and prevent loss of hearing in old age.
What is Presbycusis (Age-Related Hearing Loss)?
Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is characterized by a gradual decline in hearing as people grow older. It predominantly occurs in the inner ear, and the degree of the involvement is almost bilateral, meaning it affects both ears. Changes in ear anatomy, exposure to louder sounds, and hereditary factors all add up over time to decrease the ability to hear. It is sensorineural hearing loss, a type of hearing loss caused when the hair cells or nerves in the inner ear (also known as the cochlea) gets damaged while transmitting signals to the brain to identify sounds.
Symptoms and Causes of Age-related Hearing Loss
What Are the Symptoms of Presbycusis?
Presbycusis progresses as a natural process with time, and the degree may vary with different patients. The general age-related hearing loss symptoms include:
- Trouble listening to speech, especially against background noise.
- Need to ask people to repeat what is being said.
- Hear sounds that are muffled or indistinct.
- Trouble hearing high-pitched sounds, such as children’s voices or birds chirping.
- Tinnitus or a ringing or buzzing sensation in the ears.
What Causes Age-Related Hearing Loss?
The etiology of age-related hearing loss is multifactorial in nature, implying a combination of both genetic and environmental factors. Some of the most common causes of age-related hearing loss include:
- Natural Aging Process: Wear and tear of the structures in the inner ear.
- Noise Exposure: Prolonged exposure to noise over time damages the hair cells of the ear.
- Genetics: A family history of hearing loss may increase susceptibility.
- Medical Conditions: Illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease may deprive the ear of blood supply and cause age-related hearing loss.
What Are the Complications of Presbycusis?
If left untreated, hearing problems in an older age can lead to complications, including:
- Social Withdrawal: Confusion and restrictions in the discourse or communication may develop social withdrawal.
- Cognitive Decline: It has been established through different research that untreated hearing loss places a patient at risk for cognitive decline and dementia.
- Safety Concerns: Reduced hearing may also cause missed warnings or alerts, compromising safety.
Presbycusis Diagnosis and Tests
How is Presbycusis Diagnosed?
To diagnose age-related hearing loss, a healthcare provider conducts a hearing test, usually through audiometry, which measures the range and intensity of sounds in decibels. The provider may also run a physical examination of the ear to rule out other causes of hearing issues, such as earwax buildup or infections.
Types of Presbycusis
There are several types of presbycusis, which differ based on the specific part of the ear that is affected:
- Sensory: This type of presbycusis causes damage to sensory hair cells in the inner ear.
- Neural: This condition involves the loss of a nerve cell that transmits signals from the ears to the brain.
- Metabolic: It presents changes in blood flow around the inner ear.
- Mechanical: It results from the alteration of the inner ear structures due to aging.
Presbycusis Treatment
Although presbycusis is a permanent condition, the treatment for age-related hearing loss can improve hearing and quality of life.
How is Age-related Hearing Loss Treated?
Presbycusis treatment approaches vary depending on the patient’s level of hearing loss. The most widely used are:
Hearing Aids
The most common treatment of presbycusis is a hearing aid. It amplifies sounds to enable individuals with presbycusis to hear and understand speech. Research studies reveal that nearly 1 in 7 of adults over 50 have used hearing aids to manage their hearing challenges.
Cochlear Implants
Cochlear implants are an age-related hearing loss treatment that works where hearing aids fail. These are different from hearing aids because the latter target the damaged areas of the inner ear to stimulate the auditory nerve directly. Cochlear implants work using a mild electrical current, which stimulates the cochlea. Signals are first sent to the brain, which interprets them as sound.
Assistive Listening Devices
Devices such as amplified telephones, infrared systems, FM systems, etc., are useful in specific environments, helping people with presbycusis hear sounds more clearly.
Living with Age-Related Hearing Loss
Presbycusis Management and Prevention
Life with presbycusis proves pretty tough, but some strategies may help:
- Use of Hearing Devices: Using the proper hearing aids and assistive devices, one can differentiate between the sound and background noise.
- Communication Techniques: Facing the speaker, maintaining eye contact, and being in well-lit areas can improve lip-reading.
- Support Networks: Support groups for hearing loss usually offer social interaction as well as resources.
How to Prevent Hearing Loss in Old Age
People are mostly concerned about how to prevent hearing loss with age. Even tlhough it is impossible to prevent loss of hearing in old age, there are some precautionary measures to slow down the process or weaken the effect.
- Protect Your Ears from Noises: Wear earplugs while listening to loud sounds to limit damage to hair cells.
- Regular Hearing Check-ups: Hearing check-ups at regular intervals can prevent hearing deterioration, ensuring early detection of changes and prompt management.
- Healthy Lifestyle: A healthy lifestyle includes proper diet, exercise, and proper management of conditions like diabetes and hypertension can help prevent presbycusis.
A Note about Presbycusis by Dr. Prabha
Hearing loss in elderly is subtle and slowly progressive,which results in significant delay in approaching for help.
Early detection and intervention of hearing loss is the key to better quality of life and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and possibility of dementia.
Fear of difficulties in managing hearing aid and myths that they do not help holds them back from seeking help.friendly professional approach and positive family support can help in improving confidence in accepting intervention.
FAQs
Hearing loss can develop as early as age 40, but in most cases, it becomes pronounced after age 60.
Presbycusis is typically bilateral; that is, it occurs roughly equally in both ears.
Presbycusis is a sensorineural loss resulting from damage to structures of the inner ear or the auditory nerves.
No, the loss is permanent; however, with the right hearing aid and assistive device interventions, you can control or effectively manage it.
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