Presbycusis – causes, symptoms and diagnosis

Having hearing loss is a natural thing experienced by someone who is elderly. Hearing loss associated with aging is known as presbycusis. Learn more about what presbycusis is, causes of presbycusis, symptoms of presbycusis, and how to treat presbycusis.

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What is Presbycusis?

Presbycusis is an individual's hearing loss that occurs gradually with age. Hearing loss is indeed one of the most common disorders associated with aging.

It is estimated that around 30-35% of adults aged 65 years and over have hearing loss. Meanwhile, for those over 75 years old, it is estimated that 40-50% of those with hearing loss are estimated to be in the group.

Presbycusis most commonly results from changes in the inner ear that result from aging. But this condition can also be triggered by changes in the middle ear or complex changes along the neural pathways leading to the brain.

This condition usually occurs in both ears equally. Presbycusis-related hearing loss is most often a hearing loss to high-pitched sounds. So a person can have difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds that are close up, but can hear low-pitched sounds that are further away.

Presbycusis hearing loss occurs gradually over a long period of time, so that a person often does not realize he has hearing loss.

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Causes of Presbycusis

There are several causes of hearing loss due to age. The following are the most common conditions that can cause presbycusis:

• Changes in the inner ear.

• Changes in the middle ear.

• Changes along the neural pathways to the brain.

• Continuous exposure to loud noises such as music or noise in the workplace.

• Loss of hair cells (sensory receptors in the inner ear).

• Congenital factors.

• Medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.

• Side effects of taking drugs such as aspirin or certain antibiotics.

Symptoms of Presbycusis

Presbycusis causes the voice to become less clear and the volume to be lower. This then causes the sufferer to have difficulty hearing and understanding speech.

Here are some of the symptoms that individuals with presbycusis may experience:

• What the other person is talking about sounds like a mumble and is not clear.

• High-pitched sounds such as 's' and 'th' are difficult to hear and distinguish.

• Difficult to understand conversation, especially if there is noise in the background.

• Male voices are easier to hear than higher pitched female voices.

• Certain sounds become too loud and sound annoying.

• Tinnitus (ringing, roaring, or hissing in one or both ears)

Presbycusis Diagnosis

The diagnosis of presbycusis begins with an interview and physical examination. Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms. After that, the doctor will use an otoscope to examine the outer ear canal and to view the eardrum.

The doctor will check if there is damage to the eardrum, blockage of the ear canal due to foreign objects or earwax, to inflammation or infection. Your doctor may refer you to a hearing specialist or audiologist for an audiogram.

An audiogram is a hearing test in which sound is played through headphones into one ear at a time. You will be asked to respond to every sound you hear. If you can't hear certain tones, this could indicate a hearing loss.

How to Overcome Presbycusis Disease

How to deal with presbycusis is adjusted to the severity of the hearing loss experienced. Assistive devices or hearing aids may be needed to help you hear better.

Here are the most common treatments for presbycusis:

1. Hearing aids

Hearing aids are devices that are worn in or behind the ear. This tool makes the sound that reaches the ear louder. Discuss with your doctor to choose a hearing aid that is most suitable and according to the condition of your hearing loss.

2. Cochlear implant

A cochlear implant is a method of placing a small electronic device in the inner ear to help provide a sense of sound for people with hearing loss. This device is installed through ear surgery.

Doctors usually recommend cochlear implants in one or both ears when a person has severe hearing loss.

3. Assistive devices

Apart from ear-mounted hearing aids, there are other types of assistive devices. it can take the form of a telephone amplifier or a technology that converts speech into text.

4. Practice lip reading

Lip reading practice is one way to help hearing impaired individuals to be able to follow the conversation. Individuals who use this method are required to pay attention to others when speaking by looking at the movements of the speaker's mouth and body.

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Communication Tips for People with Presbycusis

If you or a member of your family has presbycusis, here are some tips for communicating what you can do:

•    Speak with your face facing the person you are talking to who has presbycusis so that you can see your face when you speak.

•    Make sure your face is well lit when you are talking. This condition allows your hearing-impaired interlocutor to be able to observe your facial expressions, movements, lip movements, and body language to help communicate.

•    During a conversation, turn off the radio or television.

•    Avoid talking while chewing food or covering your mouth with your hands.

•    Speak at a louder volume than usual, but don't shout.

•    Speak at a normal speed and do not exaggerate the voice.

•    Tell people with hearing loss about current topics of conversation.

•    Speak in shorter and simpler sentences to make it easier to understand.

•    If going to a public place, choose a seat away from crowded or noisy areas.

that's a glimpse of presbycusis. I hope this article is useful for you all.

healthy greetings.

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