Overview
Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is the gradual loss of hearing in both ears and is associated with aging. It is a common problem in adults over the age of 65, where ability to hear high-pitched noises is affected.Signs and Symptoms
Difficulty distinguishing high-pitched sounds like "s"� and "th"�, Difficulty understanding conversations especially in a noisy background, Finding some sounds too loud or very annoying, Finding people's speech mumbled, Men's voices are easier to hear than women's, Tinnitus in one or both earsCommon Causes
Increasing age, Changes in the inner ear, middle ear and nerve pathways to the brain, Loss of hair cells, Prolonged exposure to loud noise, Inherited factors, Side effects of certain medications such as some antibiotics and aspirin, Certain health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseasesRisk Factors
Increasing age, Prolonged exposure to loud noise such as loud music or work-related noise, Family history of hearing loss, Usage of certain medications such as some antibiotics and aspirin, Certain health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseasesInvestigation Techniques
Medical history, Ear examination, Otoscope to look for damage to the ear drum, infection, inflammation, impacted earwax, or blockage of ear canal due to foreign objects, Audiogram in which sounds are played through headphones and patients are required to respond to each sound they hearTreatment and Prevention
Hearing aids, Bone anchored hearing systems, Cochlear implants, Assistive listening devices such as telephone amplifiers, Training in lip reading or speech reading, Age-related hearing loss can be prevented by protecting your ears from loud sounds and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to avoid chronic diseasesPsychological Issues
Stress
