A Wealth of Health: Let’s Talk About Age-Related Hearing Loss
By Mark McNease
My mother was deaf in one ear due to a punctured eardrum in her youth. She had the habit of nodding when she didn’t hear something rather than admit she couldn’t hear what was said.
Many people experience hearing loss as we age. I won’t be surprised if it’s as much part of my aging process as deteriorating vision that requires glasses to read anything smaller than a billboard. (I wear my glasses on a cord around my neck, knowing I’d lose them in a day if they weren’t fastened to me—not very stylish, but extremely practical.)
These are just things that happen to most of our bodies with time. It’s okay. My response is to never assume I’m the exception to the rule, and to take steps to mitigate the effects of age while accepting them as naturally occurring.
So, let’s talk about age-related hearing loss, its causes, treatments, and offer some helpful information as well as resources. Click on any link to read the articles in full.
From the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
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.
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 …
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.”
What are some of the causes of age-related hearing loss?
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 …
Additionally –
“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.”
Hearing loss, and specifically age-related hearing loss, can be caused by several things.
There is no known single cause of age-related hearing loss. Most commonly, it is caused by changes in the inner ear that occur as you grow older. Your genes and loud noise (from rock concerts or music headphones) may play a large role.
- The following factors contribute to age-related hearing loss:
- Family history (age-related hearing loss tends to run in families)
- Repeated exposure to loud noises
- Smoking (smokers are more likely to have such hearing loss than nonsmokers)
- Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes
- Certain medicines, such as chemotherapy drugs for cancer
What are some of the symptoms of hearing loss?
I’ve occasionally thought I had hearing loss simply because people will sometimes turn and look at me when I speak in public, as if I’m loud. I’m not loud to me, and that’s made me wonder if I’m not hearing myself at the volume other people do. What are some symptoms of hearing loss?
Symptoms of age-related hearing loss typically begin with an inability to hear high-pitched sounds. You may notice that you have difficulty hearing the voices of females or children. You may also have difficulty hearing background noises or difficulty hearing others speak clearly.
Other symptoms that may occur include:
- certain sounds seeming overly loud
- difficulty hearing in areas that are noisy
- difficulty hearing the difference between “s” and “th” sounds
- ringing in the ears
- turning up the volume on the television or radio louder than normal
- asking people to repeat themselves
- being unable to understand conversations over the telephone
How can I be correctly diagnose?
Okay, so I think I’ve got a hearing issue. What next?
The diagnosis of Age-Related Hearing Loss may include:
- A physical examination is performed by the physician to determine if any medical condition has caused the hearing loss
- Basic tests are conducted by the physician to check for hearing loss and the type of hearing loss using tests such as the whisper test, Weber and Rinne test
- An otoscope examination may be performed to look into the ears and check for wax accumulation
- The hearing capacity of an individual is best assessed using electronic audiometers and audiometry devices
- Hearing tests or an audiogram is done by an audiologist to determine the extent of the hearing loss
- Many clinical conditions may have similar signs and symptoms. Your healthcare provider may perform additional tests to rule out other clinical conditions to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.
What can I do about it?
From the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
What can help older adults hear better? Working together with a qualified audiologist, older adults can evaluate the benefits of hearing aid use and learn to overcome some of the adverse effects that hearing loss can have on their quality of life. In addition, here are some tips that older adults can use for good listening: • Use appropriate hearing aids and assistive technology.
- Get closer. Don’t try to listen to someone from another room. Go where the talker is.
- Take listening breaks. You can focus better if you are rested.
- Ask the person talking to slow down when he or she is talking too fast.
- Ask the speaker to turn so that you can see his or her face.
- Don’t bluff! Let the speaker know when you are having trouble hearing or understanding.
Mark McNease is the author of nine novels, two short story collections and miscellaneous fiction. He’s the publisher and editor for LGBTSr, “where age is embraced and life is celebrated.” He co-edited and published the anthology Outer Voices Inner Lives (Lambda Literary Award finalist), and was the co-creator of the Emmy and Telly winning children’s program Into the Outdoors.