Age is the most common reason for hearing loss for adults between 20-69 years of age. The greatest amount of hearing loss is in adults between 60 to 69 years.
If you are dealing with gradual hearing loss with age, you might be struggling to cope with it. Before your hearing gets worse, there are things to know about the process.
Keep reading to learn more about age-related hearing loss and how to cope with it.
Age-Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis)
Presbycusis is the scientific name for age-related hearing loss that can occur as a person gets older. Hearing loss with age happens gradually and can run in families.
Hearing loss associated with old age occurs because of changes in the auditory nerve or inner ear. Some with this type of hearing loss might not be able to tolerate loud noises and often can’t hear what other people are saying.
Hearing loss can occur in both ears and affect each ear equally. Someone with presbycusis might not realize that they have lost the ability to hear as well as they did before.
Coping With Hearing Loss With Age
Hearing loss due to aging is a trouble that most people don’t want to deal with. When you start to notice signs of hearing loss, the best thing to do is speak to your doctor.
Someone with hearing problems should use the following tips to help cope:
- Make people aware that you have a hearing problem
- Ask people to face you when speaking
- Ask people to speak louder without shouting
- Pay attention to facial expressions and gestures
- Find a good location to listen to conversations
If you don’t understand what someone has said due to hearing loss, don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat themselves. If necessary, you can ask them to reword the sentence as well.
Your doctor should either diagnose and treat your hearing problem themselves or refer you to a specialist. An audiologist is a health professional that can identify hearing loss.
Try visiting a hearing clinic in your area that can help you and provide hearing aids if you need them.
Causes of Age-Related Hearing Loss
The most common cause of age-related hearing loss is a change in the inner ear. However, changes within the middle ear and nerve pathways that lead to the brain can cause hearing loss as well.
Along with aging, these are other factors that affect age-related hearing loss:
- Continuous exposure to loud noise
- Loss of hair cells
- Inherited factors
- Health conditions like diabetes or heart disease
- Side effects from medications like antibiotics
If you experience symptoms of hearing loss, visiting your doctor is crucial because hearing loss symptoms are similar to other medical problems and conditions.
Are You Dealing With Age-Related Hearing Loss?
If you are experiencing hearing loss with age, the first step you should take is visiting your doctor. A healthcare professional can diagnose and help treat your age-related hearing loss before it worsens.
To cope with hearing loss due to aging, it is important to follow the instructions of a medical professional. Use the tips in this guide to help converse with others.
For more health articles like this, check out the other posts on our blog.
