Hearing loss in older people

Causes of hearing loss

Increasing age is the most common cause of hearing loss. About one in four people over the age of 50 have some level of hearing loss and this increases to over 70% of people over 70

The exact reasons for deteriorating hearing are unknown, but is probably related to lifetime exposure to noise and other damaging factors slowly wear down the ears’ delicate mechanics. Genes also play a role

• Loud, continuous noise wears down hearing and In some workplaces, ears are exposed to dangerous noise levels every day. Certain industries are worse than others
• Certain medications can impair hearing and/or balance. More than 200 medications and chemicals have a track record of triggering hearing and/or balance side effects in addition to their disease-fighting capabilities. These include some antibiotics, aspirin, loop diuretics and medications for chemotherapy, malaria and erectile dysfunction
• Sudden hearing loss, the rapid loss of 30 decibels or more of hearing ability, can happen over several hours or days. (A normal conversation is 60 decibels.) In nine out of 10 cases, sudden hearing loss affects only one ear. The cause of sudden hearing loss can only be found in 10% to 15% of cases
• Certain illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, put ears at risk by interfering with the ears’ blood supply.Otosclerosis is a disease of the middle ear and Ménière’s disease affects the inner ear. Both can cause hearing loss
• Trauma, especially that which involves a skull fracture or punctured eardrum, puts ears at serious risk
• Infection or earwax can block ear canals and reduce hearing

Symptoms of hearing loss

Often hearing fades slowly and goes unnoticed for a long time. People becoming deafer often think other people are mumbling rather than blaming their own hearing

At the early stage of hearing loss, high-pitched sounds, such as children’s and female voices, and the sounds “S” and “F” become harder to decipher

Other symptoms of hearing loss include:

• Trouble understanding phone conversations
• Trouble hearing above background noise
• Trouble following a conversation when more than one person speaks at once
• Perception that people are not speaking clearly or mumbling
• Misunderstanding what people say and responding inappropriately
• Asking people to repeat themselves
• Frequent complaints by others that the TV is too loud
• Ringing, roaring or hissing sounds in the ears, known as tinnitus

Levels of hearing loss

Doctors classify hearing loss by degrees: mild, moderate, severe or profound. As the stages progress, the person with hearing loss becomes increasingly cut off from the world of speech and sounds. The symptoms of these categories include:

• Mild hearing loss. One-on-one conversations are fine, but it becomes hard to catch every word in the presence of background noise.
• Moderate hearing loss. You often need to ask people to repeat themselves during in-person and telephone conversations.
• Severe hearing loss. Following a conversation is almost impossible without a hearing aid.
• Profound hearing loss. You cannot hear other people speaking, unless they are extremely loud. Without a hearing aid or cochlear implant you cannot understand speech

Treatment for hearing loss

Treatment depends on the type and source of hearing loss.

Surgery may reverse hearing loss caused by otosclerosis, while Ménière’s disease is sometimes treatable with medication

Hearing loss caused by infection can be treated with antibiotics

If you suspect hearing loss stems from medication use, speak with your doctor about alternatives

People with permanent hearing loss need to learn how to function with the hearing they still have. Most people with permanent hearing loss can benefit from using a hearing aid — yet only one in five eligible people use them. Hearing aids are tiny instruments you typically wear in or behind your ear that make sounds louder

Other sound-enhancing technologies include personal listening systems that allow you to tune in to what you want to hear and mute other sounds. TV-listening systems make it possible for you to hear the television or radio without turning the volume way up. Different kinds of phone-amplifying devices are available to make conversations possible on home and mobile phones. Finally, cochlear implants are used mainly with young children but are becoming more popular among older adults with profound hearing loss

Living with hearing loss

Set up your home so your rooms are well lit and the chairs face each other. Seeing the faces of people when they talk allows you to see their mouths move as well as their facial expressions

Remove avoidable sources of background noise; for instance, turn off the TV when no one’s watching it

Ask people to look at you when they are talking

What their lips whilst they talk

Ask them to speak clearly