What is age-related hearing loss?Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is the loss of hearing that gradually occurs in most of us as we grow older. It is one of the most common conditions affecting older and elderly adults. Show
Approximately one in three people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing. Having trouble hearing can make it hard to understand and follow a doctor's advice, respond to warnings, and hear phones, doorbells, and smoke alarms. Hearing loss can also make it hard to enjoy talking with family and friends, leading to feelings of isolation. Age-related hearing loss most often occurs in both ears, affecting them equally. Because the loss is gradual, if you have age-related hearing loss you may not realize that you've lost some of your ability to hear. There are many causes of age-related hearing loss. Most commonly, it arises from changes in the inner ear as we age, but it can also result from changes in the middle ear, or from complex changes along the nerve pathways from the ear to the brain. Certain medical conditions and medications may also play a role. How do we hear?Hearing depends on a series of events that change sound waves in the air into electrical signals. Your auditory nerve then carries these signals to your brain through a complex series of steps. Source: NIDCD
Why do we lose our hearing as we get older?Stereocilia perch atop sensory hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear Credit: Yoshiyuki Kawashima Many factors can contribute to hearing loss as you get older. It can be difficult to distinguish age-related hearing loss from hearing loss that can occur for other reasons, such as long-term exposure to noise. Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by long-term exposure to sounds that are either too loud or last too long. This kind of noise exposure can damage the sensory hair cells in your ear that allow you to hear. Once these hair cells are damaged, they do not grow back and your ability to hear is diminished. Conditions that are more common in older people, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, can contribute to hearing loss. Medications that are toxic to the sensory cells in your ears (for example, some chemotherapy drugs) can also cause hearing loss. Rarely, age-related hearing loss can be caused by abnormalities of the outer ear or middle ear. Such abnormalities may include reduced function of the tympanic membrane (the eardrum) or reduced function of the three tiny bones in the middle ear that carry sound waves from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear. Most older people who experience hearing loss have a combination of both age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss. Can I prevent age-related hearing loss?At this time, scientists don't know how to prevent age-related hearing loss. However, you can protect yourself from noise-induced hearing loss by protecting your ears from sounds that are too loud and last too long. It's important to be aware of potential sources of damaging noises, such as loud music, firearms, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, and leaf blowers. Avoiding loud noises, reducing the amount of time you're exposed to loud noise, and protecting your ears with ear plugs or ear muffs are easy things you can do to protect your hearing and limit the amount of hearing you might lose as you get older. How can I tell if I have a hearing problem?Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "yes" to three or more of these questions, you could have a hearing problem and may need to have your hearing checked. Do you sometimes feel embarrassed when you meet new people because you struggle to hear? YES NO Do you feel frustrated when talking to members of your family because you have difficulty hearing them? YES NO Do you have difficulty hearing or understanding co-workers, clients, or customers? YES NO Do you feel restricted or limited by a hearing problem? YES NO Do you have difficulty hearing when visiting friends, relatives, or neighbors? YES NO Do you have trouble hearing in the movies or in the theater? YES NO Does a hearing problem cause you to argue with family members? YES NO Do you have trouble hearing the TV or radio at levels that are loud enough for others? YES NO
Do you feel that any difficulty with your hearing limits your personal or social life? YES NO Do you have trouble hearing family or friends when you are together in a restaurant? YES NO Adapted from: Newman, C.W., Weinstein, B.E., Jacobson, G.P., & Hug, G.A. (1990). The Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults [HHIA]: Psychometric adequacy and audiometric correlates. Ear Hear, 11, 430-433. What should I do if I have trouble hearing?Hearing problems can be serious. The most important thing you can do if you think you have a hearing problem is to seek advice from a health care provider. There are several types of professionals who can help you. You might want to start with your primary care physician, an otolaryngologist, an audiologist, or a hearing aid specialist. Each has a different type of training and expertise. Each can be an important part of your hearing health care.
What treatments and devices can help?Your treatment will depend on the severity of your hearing loss, so some treatments will work better for you than others. There are a number of devices and aids that help you hear better when you have hearing loss. Here are the most common ones: Styles of hearing aidsSource: NIH/NIDCD
Can my friends and family help me?You and your family can work together to make living with hearing loss easier. Here are some things you can do:
Working together to hear better may be tough on everyone for a while. It will take time for you to get used to watching people as they talk and for people to get used to speaking louder and more clearly. Be patient and continue to work together. Hearing better is worth the effort. What research is being done?The NIDCD is supporting research on the causes of age-related hearing loss, including genetic factors. Some NIDCD-supported scientists are exploring the potential to regrow new hair cells in the inner ear using drug or gene therapies. Other NIDCD-supported work is exploring medications that may reduce or prevent noise-induced and age-related hearing loss. Scientists supported by the NIDCD are also developing and refining devices that can be used to help people with age-related hearing loss. Where can I find additional information about age-related hearing loss?The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations that provide information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. Use the following keywords to help you find organizations that can answer questions and provide information on age-related hearing loss:
NIDCD Information Clearinghouse NIH Pub. No. 97-4235 What part of the ear is responsible for balance?The organs of balance in the inner ear are called the vestibular system. This system includes three fluid-filled loops (semi-circular canals) which respond to the rotation of the head. Near the semicircular canals are the utricle and saccule, which detect gravity and back-and-forth motion.
What is the connection of hearing and balance?The balance system of the body is dependent on the labyrinth covered by bone and fluids in the inner ear holding the semi-circular canals, the otolithic tissues, and the cochlea. As the cochlea is employed for hearing, the canals are important for ensuring balance.
Which cranial nerve would be damaged in a patient who has a hearing impairment?The eighth cranial nerve (vestibulocochlear nerve) may also be inflamed. The inflammation of these causes a feeling of spinning (vertigo), hearing loss, and other symptoms. In most people, these symptoms go away over time.
Which part of the ear is not involved in hearing?There are three components to the ear: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. All three are involved in hearing but only the inner ear is responsible for balance.
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