Old age hearing loss treatment

Old age hearing loss also known as presbycusis is the gradual decrease in the perception of sound that happens with age advancement. About 37% of people above 60 years and 60% of people in the age group of 75-80 years have age related hearing loss. People are well aware regarding the hearing loss due to ear infections or trauma but the presbycusis is often an ignored entity.
Presbycusis is the sensorineural type of hearing loss that happens due to changes or weariness that occurs in the inner ear as the person ages. It can result from the changes in the inner ear, auditory nerve (nerve of hearing) or in the neural pathway. This age related process can further be precipitated by hereditary factors, repeated and chronic exposure to loud sounds, various medical health conditions and ototoxic medications. Lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases can lead to changes in the blood supply to inner ear and thus fasten the otherwise gradual progression of hearing loss.
The symptoms of presbycusis include gradual decrease in hearing of both ears and ringing or buzzing sound in the ear (tinnitus). Often tinnitus is the first symptom of presbycusis whereas some people notice that they have difficulty in hearing high pitched sounds, difficulty in understanding conversation when there is a background noise. The patient can hear the sound, but is not able to understand the speech clearly. As the hearing loss worsens there occurs a phenomenon called recruitment, i.e., abnormal growth in the perception of loudness. The person says “Speak up, I can’t hear” and then suddenly he says “don’t shout, I’m not deaf”. According to recent research, age related hearing loss has an impact on psychological well-being of the person his / her physical ability. It has been found that with decreasing hearing acuity, there is increased incidence of fall, depression and dementia. Presbycusis is diagnosed by audiometry test which will show a sloping curve towards the high frequency, which is usually bilateral and symmetrical.
The treatment options are observation, hearing aids or cochlear implantation. People with minimal high frequency loss can be followed up with 6 monthly hearing assessments. Patient will usually need aiding when the hearing loss is above 40%. Early recognition of hearing loss and early administration of hearing aid improves the quality of life of the patient. The use of appropriate hearing aids can improve the hearing and thus improves the quality of life. There are various types of hearing aids available currently which reduces the discomfort and cosmetic concerns associated with conventional hearing aid. For patients who are severely affected by presbycusis, cochlear implantation offers hope to restore the hearing. There are varieties of assistive listening devices available that can be used either independently or along with hearing aid.
Awareness regarding the age-related hearing loss and the precipitative factors along with lifestyle changes can improve the condition of the patients. Patients and their family members should overcome their general stigma about hearing aid usage that can help millions of elderly people with hearing defects.

We at SVASTII strive hard to create awareness and easy accessibility for diagnosing and providing support to people with hearing loss. For old age hearing loss treatment book an appointment today.