Hearing Loss

Number of people affected:
90% of adults were found to have some degree of hearing loss

Who gets it:
About one-third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing problems. About half the people who are 85 and older have hearing loss.

Symptoms:
Trouble hearing over the phone, turning TV volume up, difficultly following conversations, background noise interference, trouble hearing women and children speak

Treatments:
Hearing aids, assistive devices, surgical implants

Doctors to see:
ENT (ear, nose, throat), Audiologist, Otolaryngologist

Hearing loss is the total or partial inability to hear sound in one or both ears. Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. People with hearing loss find it difficult to talk with friends and family. They may also have trouble understanding a doctor's advice, responding to warnings, and hearing doorbells and alarms.

Hearing loss comes in many forms. It can range from a mild loss in which a person misses certain high-pitched sounds, such as the voices of women and children, to a total loss of hearing. It can be hereditary or it can result from disease, trauma, certain medications, or long-term exposure to loud noise.

One form of hearing loss, presbycusis, comes on gradually as a person ages. Presbycusis can occur because of changes in the inner ear, auditory nerve, middle ear, or outer ear. Some of its causes are aging, loud noise, heredity, head injury, infection, illness, certain prescription drugs, and circulation problems such as high blood pressure. Presbycusis commonly affects people over 50, many of whom are likely to lose some hearing each year. Having presbycusis may make it hard for a person to tolerate loud sounds or to hear what others are saying.

Tinnitus, also common in older people, is the ringing, hissing, or roaring sound in the ears frequently caused by exposure to loud noise or certain medicines. Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease, so it can accompany any type of hearing loss. Tinnitus can also be a sign of other important health problems, such as allergies and problems in the heart and blood vessels. Tinnitus can come and go, or it can persist or stop altogether.

Hearing problems that are ignored or untreated can get worse, or result in the person becoming totally deaf, so contact a doctor at the first sign of hearing loss.

Warning signs of hearing loss include:

• Trouble hearing over the telephone
• Difficulty following conversations when two or more people are talking
• Turning up the TV volume so loud that others complain
• Trouble hearing because of background noise
• A sense that others seem to mumble
• Can't understand when women and children speak
• Constantly asking people to repeat themselves
• Frequently being accused of not paying attention

What will help your loved one depends on the hearing problem and level of hearing loss. Some common solutions include:

• Hearing aids. These small devices worn in or behind the ear can help some kinds of hearing loss by making sounds louder. However, they sometimes pick up background noises. Hearing aids are typically not covered by insurance.
• Assistive/Adaptive Devices. These products can help your loved one live well with less-than-perfect hearing.
  • Telephone amplifying devices
  • TV and radio listening systems
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Alerts (visual or vibrating doorbells, smoke detectors, alarm clocks, etc.)
• Cochlear implants.For severe deafness, a doctor may suggest cochlear implants. In this surgery, the doctor puts a small electronic device under the skin behind the ear. The device sends the message past the non-working part of the inner ear and on to the brain. These implants are not helpful for all types of deafness or hearing loss.

Hearing loss can have many different causes. One of the major causes of hearing loss is aging. As we get older the hair cells in the inner ear begin to die.

Another common reason for hearing loss is exposure to noise over a long period of time.

Health conditions and diseases are also contributors: ear wax buildup, viral or bacterial infections, heart conditions or stroke, head injuries, tumors. Serious injuries to the head can cause hearing loss.

Certain medicines or drugs can cause hearing loss. Sometimes, hearing loss is heredity and passed from generation to generation.

Here are some tips you can use when talking to your loved one who has a hearing problem:

• Face the person and talk clearly.
• Speak at a reasonable speed; do not hide your mouth, eat, or chew gum.
• Stand in good lighting and reduce background noises.
• Use facial expressions or gestures to give useful clues.
• Repeat yourself if necessary, using different words.
• Include the hearing-impaired person when talking. Talk with the person, not about the person, when you are with others. This helps keep the hearing-impaired person from feeling alone and excluded.
• Be patient; stay positive and relaxed.
• Ask how you can help.