| As they age, many millions of Americans will | | | | starting with high-pitched sounds and moving through |
| experience hearing loss of one form or another. | | | | middle frequencies and then the lowest frequencies. |
| Roughly half of the people who are 74 years and | | | | Normal speech covers all of these frequencies and |
| older has some form of hearing loss. | | | | the ability to understand a conversation can vary |
| While most people associate hearing loss with people | | | | depending on how far along the presbycusis is. It may |
| in their seventies and eighties, it can start much sooner. | | | | be harder to understand conversations with children |
| There are many causes, which include ear infections, | | | | and women because of the higher frequencies of their |
| loud noises, inherited conditions, blood clots, and | | | | voices. Conversation in groups may also be difficult to |
| reactions to medications. The most common cause of | | | | understand because of the varying frequencies |
| hearing loss and deafness is presbycusis, which is a | | | | present. |
| sensorineural hearing loss that occurs as we age. A | | | | Some other signs to look for include ringing in the ears |
| progressive deterioration of the hearing organ, | | | | (tinnitus), having to turn up the television or a radio |
| presbycusis leads to an intolerance for loud noises, but | | | | louder than before, talking louder than normal, people |
| does not lead to total deafness. Presbycusis is not a | | | | sounding like they are mumbling, a hard time hearing |
| disease of the ear; rather, it is a process that can | | | | high-pitched sounds, or trouble hearing softer sounds. |
| occur with aging. Anyone who lives long enough would | | | | Treatment |
| eventually develop this problem. | | | | While this type of hearing loss cannot be reversed by |
| What Causes Presbycusis | | | | surgery, using hearing aids can help. If you suspect |
| Presbycusis is caused by changes in the hair cells | | | | hearing loss, seeing a hearing professional as quick as |
| located in the cochlea or the nerves which are | | | | possible is advised. These professionals may be an |
| attached to it. This affects the perception of | | | | otologist, who specializes in diseases of the ear, an |
| high-frequency sound and the transmission of sound | | | | otolaryngologist, who specializes in diseases of the ear, |
| signals and leads to loss of hearing. | | | | nose, and throat, or an audiologist, a professional who |
| As a person ages, nerve cells in the base of the | | | | works with a physician to help assess hearing loss and |
| cochlea are lost. It is not known if this is caused only | | | | provide auditory training. |
| by aging, or by a decrease in specific frequencies | | | | Hearing aids can help most people, but there are those |
| which supply those cells. There is a belief among some | | | | that will not benefit from them (someone who cannot |
| researchers that prolonged loud noise exposure, | | | | discriminate different speech sounds, for instance). For |
| hardening of the arteries, and reduced blood flow to | | | | anyone who will benefit, a thorough examination and |
| the inner ear can help contribute to presbycusis. | | | | hearing test should be given before any aid is |
| Symptoms | | | | prescribed or fitted. These tests will help to determine |
| The development of presbycusis is different for each | | | | which type of hearing aid would be most beneficial. |
| person affected. The hearing ability slowly declines, | | | | |