How Wearable Tech is Merging with Hearing Aids
Decades of research have revealed a clear link between hearing loss and
By: admin | September 9, 2015
If a hearing healthcare professional diagnoses you with presbycusis, congratulations: you’ve lived long enough to develop hearing-related hearing loss and you’re in good company. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately 30 to 35 percent of adults between the ages of 65 and 70 have some degree of hearing loss. The percentage rises to 40 to 50 percent of individuals over the age of 75.
Simply put, presbycusis is sensorineural hearing loss that occurs as you age. This type of hearing loss usually happens gradually over the span of many years, affects both ears simultaneously (bilateral hearing loss), and occurs due to age-related changes within the inner ear and along the nerve pathways to the brain. Most of the time, these changes are related to the health of tiny hair cells in the inner ear that help us hear. These hair cells translate the sound waves our ears collect and translate them into electrical signals for the brain to interpret as recognizable sound. Since they do not regenerate, any hearing loss we experience as a result of this damage is permanent. Other factors which may contribute to the development of presbycusis include:
Because presbycusis occurs gradually, many individuals don’t realize they’re having difficulty hearing. If you’re older than 65 years of age, here are some indications you may have presbycusis:
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms we’ve listed, make an appointment to see a hearing healthcare professional as soon as possible for a hearing evaluation. The results of this evaluation will help determine the cause and extent of your hearing loss, as well as the best solution for treating the problem.
Like most types of sensorineural hearing loss, there is no cure for presbycusis. Fortunately, most cases of sensorineural hearing loss can be treated.
While you can’t do anything about your relatives (much as many of us try), you can take steps to prevent some of the other factors which cause presbycusis.
Presbycusis sneaks up on you and, left untreated, can cause a multitude of additional health problems such as anxiety, depression and social isolation. Research also indicates untreated hearing loss puts individuals at a greater risk for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Not to worry. Although today’s hearing aid technology won’t restore your hearing to normal, it will greatly improve your quality of life. Results of a 2008 survey by the Better Hearing Institute indicated almost 80 percent of hearing aid users were satisfied with their devices, especially in one-on-one and small group conversations, and when listening to the television or recreating outdoors. Reprinted with permission from www.healthyhearing.com. Please visit our site for the original article: https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52510-Presbycusis-understanding-age-related-hearing-loss
Tags: hearing loss basics, presbycusis, types of hearing loss
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