Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)
Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is a progressive loss of the ability to hear that occurs as people get older. The problem affects both ears. It starts with problems hearing high-pitched sounds. Over time, the ability to hear lower-pitched sounds may be affected as well.
The primary symptom is problems understanding speech, especially in the presence of background noise.
It is unknown whether a specific cause, such as long-term exposure to excessive noise, contributes to age-related hearing loss. But it is likely that genetics play a role, as it tends to occur in families.
The number of hair cells in the inner ear declines with time, although hearing loss rarely becomes noticeable before age 55. But hearing loss is not necessarily an inevitable part of aging. Many people in their 80s do not have hearing loss.
There is no known cure for age-related hearing loss. Treatment is focused on improving function, such as by using hearing aids.
What are the symptoms of age-related hearing loss?
Age-related hearing loss usually affects both ears and can be mild to severe. Speech sounds mumbled and it's harder to hear and understand high-pitched sounds. You may also hear ringing or other sounds in your ears. You may not know you have age-related hearing loss because older people usually lose their hearing very slowly.
How is age-related hearing loss treated?
There is no known way to reverse age-related hearing loss. But if you have age-related hearing loss, there are devices that can help you hear and communicate more easily. These include hearing aids, telephone amplifiers, pagers, smart phones, and tablets.
It may be helpful to ask your family and friends to make adjustments when talking with you, such as speaking clearly and facing you so that you can better see their facial expressions and gestures.
How is age-related hearing loss diagnosed?
Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and past health. Your doctor may look in your ears with a lighted device. Hearing tests may be done to check if you have hearing loss and how severe it is. You may be referred to an audiologist for the tests.
How can you care for yourself when you have age-related hearing loss?
Avoid loud noises or wear hearing protection around them. Wear your hearing aids as directed. Telephone amplifiers, close captioning on videos and TV, email, and text messaging can help. Speechreading may also help. With this method, you pay attention to people’s gestures, expressions, posture, and tone of voice to help you understand them.
What is age-related hearing loss?
Age-related hearing loss is the loss of the ability to hear that happens over time as people get older. It starts with problems hearing high-pitched sounds. Over time, the ability to hear lower-pitched sounds may be affected as well. Most older adults have this kind of hearing loss to some degree.
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