Elderly Hearing Loss

Hearing loss in the elderly is probably the least complicated or mysterious form of hearing loss. This is because deterioration of the human body continues from birth, and those in their senior years are going to have hearing problems after a certain age. Of those over 65 years of age, one-third has noticeable hearing problems; one-half are afflicted over the age of 85. This percentage is far greater than those who are younger. This suggests that there is a link between age and hearing loss.

Symptoms of elderly hearing loss include feelings of depression, especially to the point where individuals attempt to withdraw from others. This is usually due to embarrassment and/or confusion toward the hearing loss condition. Mumbled or slurred speech can create suspicion in some elders who refuse to acknowledge their problem and therefore conclude that others are cutting them out of conversations. Hissing or ringing background noise can sound disconcerting and even surreal. Symptoms exhibited would probably be the ability to identify those who are struggling to hear and/or understand what is going on around them.

Although common is the hearing loss in elderly, causes may vary in specifics. Intrinsic or hereditary hearing abnormalities can bring about early loss of hearing or hearing problems. Head traumas, such as those caused by a nasty fall or an automobile accident, can also induce hearing anomalies, such as ringing, in someone who is of an elderly age. Diseases and infections can and do especially create hearing difficulties for seniors, this because the elderly are more prone to sickness and respiratory complications than younger people. The most common cause of elderly hearing loss would probably be a deteriorated labyrinth or auditory nerve, which loses strength after time. Combined vision and hearing for the elderly is not unheard of, especially since the ocular and auditory systems are closely situated. When visual acuity decreases, so can aural acuity. This is why seniors who go for a check up should have their eyes and ears checked, even if there has never been any history of visual or hearing problems.

Hearing loss in older workers will obviously be greater for those whose occupations involved spending a lot of time in noisy environments. Automobile and airplane mechanics, military women and men, factory workers, and public safety are among the many examples of high-volume careers.

Treatment for the hearing loss of senior citizens predominantly involves the use of a hearing aid, as nothing else would be successful. Telecommunication devices and processes designed especially for the hard-of-hearing like keyboard text messaging and amplified telephones facilitate communicative interaction with the elderly as if no problem exists.

Information on elderly hearing loss is all over the Internet, so those interested in educating themselves on the subject can easily find articles on hearing loss in the elderly, especially in medical sites or archives.

Decline in hearing capacity is inevitability, but that doesn’t mean that life has to lose its luster and enjoyment. Many senior citizens find themselves living their golden years filled with satisfaction and sound.