Senior Living News

Hearing Loss Is a Common Problem

It’s estimated that 28.8 million people in the United States could benefit from wearing hearing aids, but less than one in three of those people have ever tried them. Part of the reason for this is that many seniors feel embarrassed about their hearing problems and don’t seek treatment.

You should know that you're not alone in facing hearing difficulties and there’s no reason to forego hearing care. Hearing loss is actually something many older adults experience. In fact, around half of people aged 75 and older and nearly a quarter of individuals aged 65 to 74 have hearing loss that's severe enough to be qualified as a disability.

Many Things Contribute to Age-Related Hearing Loss

There are many reasons hearing loss often occurs with age. For one thing, the middle ear and nervous system change as we grow older, making it more difficult for information to travel from the receptors in the ear to the brain. Repeated exposure to noise can cause damage that complicates things further, and researchers have determined that genetics may also play a role.

For some people, medical history may also be involved in age-related hearing loss. Conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes can lead to a decline in hearing, and some medications like chemotherapy drugs may harm cells in the ear and limit the ability to hear. Infections of the ear may also cause short-term or permanent hearing loss in some cases.

It’s important to note that earwax can be a culprit as well. A buildup of earwax can impede the conduction of sound waves through the ear. Earwax may be the sole cause of hearing loss in some cases, but for some people, age-related hearing difficulties often stem from earwax and other factors.

Early Signs Are Usually Subtle

Hearing loss is a progressive condition, meaning it gets worse over time. The first symptoms are often subtle. Some signs that you may be in the early stages of hearing loss include:

• Speech and other sounds seeming muffled or distant
• Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds like your telephone, alarm clock or doorbell
• Finding it challenging to follow conversations in noisy places like restaurants and on public transportation
• Struggling to hear over the phone
• Challenges distinguishing between certain sounds like S and F, SH and TH or P and T
• Frequently needing to ask people to repeat or to speak more slowly
• Other people telling you your television or radio is too loud
• Ringing in the ears
• Feeling pain or discomfort when you hear certain sounds

Hearing Loss Can Have Serious Implications

Hearing loss can affect you in some surprising ways. For example, even mild hearing loss can make you three times more likely to suffer fall accidents. This is because the same changes that impact hearing may affect balance, and the brain may not be able to control balance as well when struggling to interpret sounds.

Problems with hearing can also impact your mental health. Being unable to easily communicate can lead to social isolation and may make it harder for seniors to enjoy hobbies, special events and outings. These are some of the reasons there's a strong association between hearing loss and depression in older adults. Scientists are also investigating whether hearing loss may put seniors more at risk for developing dementia.

Treatments and Assistive Technologies Can Help

If you notice any of the above-described symptoms of hearing loss, talk to your medical provider. They can order a hearing test to determine the degree of loss, conduct an examination and order tests to identify any underlying conditions that may be contributing to the problem.

When earwax buildup is responsible for hearing issues, a health care provider can safely remove it in the office. For other causes of hearing loss, a number of devices are available to help, such as:

• Over-the-counter hearing aids. For mild to moderate hearing loss, you can explore a selection of hearing aids that are available without a doctor’s prescription.
• Prescription hearing aids. Health care providers usually recommend that those with moderate to severe hearing loss be fitted for hearing aids by a professional audiologist.
• Cochlear implants. These surgically implanted devices go in the inner ear to provide a sense of sound and are an option for some types of hearing loss.
• Phone amplifiers. Special devices and apps can help turn up the sound on your landline or cell phone so you can carry on conversation more easily.
• Closed-circuit systems. Many event venues, places of worship and movie theaters offer these assistive listening aids to people with hearing problems.

You Can Take Steps to Protect Your Hearing

Although it may not be possible to prevent age-related hearing loss, people of all ages can take steps to protect their hearing and promote ear health by:

• Never sticking cotton swabs or other items into your ears
• Wearing hearing protection in loud places
• Controlling the volume of stereos and home theater systems
• Seeing a health care provider regularly for checkups