What if you woke up one day and lost your ability to hear anything? Quite frightening isn’t it? To many people that is a reality that they live with, an experience that they once felt, one that completely altered their life.
It often starts with having trouble hearing and later it evolves into not being able to hear what people are saying or comprehending their speech. If it goes untreated it could lead to serious implications.
So let’s dive into this article and understand age-related hearing loss and how it affects elderly individuals, its causes, signs, and ways to manage hearing loss in elders.
There might be times when you have a problem and you don’t even realize it! Don’t worry, just try to remember if you have any of these symptoms and make sure to consult a doctor if you do.
These are a few symptoms that a person might experience when they suffer from hearing loss, if it gets serious make sure to consult a doctor immediately.
If going out to a doctor can be a challenge, check our website and consult NORMS home healthcare for healthcare professionals who can properly help right at your doorstep.
There are various types of hearing loss. A person may experience a little loss of hearing, such as missing certain high-pitched sounds or losing all hearing.
A quick, inexplicable loss of hearing and abrupt deafness is also referred to as sudden sensorineural hearing loss. A person may experience it all at once or over several days. It is necessary to treat it as a medical emergency. See a doctor right away if you or someone you know suddenly lose their hearing.
Presbycusis, another name for age-related hearing loss, is a condition that progressively worsens with age. It appears to run in families and could be brought on by modifications to the auditory nerve, which transmits signals from the inner ear to the brain to the ear. A person with presbycusis may find it difficult to comprehend what other people are saying or to tolerate loud noises.
People with presbycusis may not be aware that they have lost some hearing because the loss is gradual.
Older adults also frequently have tinnitus. Although it sounds like ringing in the ears, it can also sound like clicking, hissing, buzzing, or roaring. It might appear and disappear. It may be loud or soft, and it can be heard with one or both ears. For some older persons, tinnitus may be the initial indication of hearing loss. It may accompany hearing loss of any kind.
There are several reasons why one can experience hearing loss, it is also more susceptible among elderly people. Here are some of the most common causes of hearing loss.
Loud noises are one of the most common causes of hearing loss, heavy traffic noises, loud music, concerts, firecrackers, and sirens can also cause hearing loss, especially among the elderly.
Earwax can potentially impair hearing by obstructing sound waves that travel from the eardrum to the inner ear.
Infection, pressure, or inserting objects—such as cotton-tipped swabs—into the ear can all harm the eardrum. If you experience fluid flowing from your ear or ear pain, make sure to consult a doctor.
These are two frequent health issues among the elderly that can aggravate hearing loss. tumor, heart disease, stroke, brain injury, or viral or bacterial ear infections.
Some medications have the potential to cause lasting harm to the inner ear, which can lead to hearing loss. These drugs may be used to treat heart disease, cancer, or severe infections. They also contain aspirin in certain quantities and a few antibiotics. Consult your doctor if you experience any problems while using a drug.
Genetic differences can also result in hearing loss. Not every hereditary type of hearing loss manifests itself from birth. Certain types may manifest in later life. For instance, the disease known as otosclerosis, which is believed to be inherited, is characterized by aberrant bone formation that impairs the normal function of ear components.
An otoscope, or illuminated scope, is what your doctor will use to examine the eardrum and examine the outer ear canal. He or she will check for infection, inflammation, impacted ear wax, injury to the ear drum, and blockage of the ear canal by foreign objects.
An audiogram may be recommended for you to see an audiologist, a specialist in hearing loss. An audiogram is a test where sounds are played to one ear at a time through headphones. If you can hear each sound, you are prompted to respond. A person may have some degree of hearing loss if they are unable to hear particular tones.
Losing your hearing can be difficult to handle, but it is important to remember that if managed properly one will be able to live independently and their best life despite having hearing loss.
It’s about having the will to get better and lead the life that you want. Here are a few things that one can do, to cope with hearing loss.
There are several devices that one can equip in their house or themselves to help them with hearing loss, a few devices that one can use are as follows.
For those with severe or complex hearing loss, an audiologist or hearing aid expert can recommend hearing aids.
A medical examination is required before a hearing aid is fitted and adjusted by a healthcare provider.
Lately, it has become possible to purchase hearing aids without a prescription. People with mild to moderate hearing loss may benefit from over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, which are available in stores and online.
It can be overwhelming to communicate with someone who has hearing loss, especially when you don’t know what to do.
Let us try to understand how we can communicate effectively with them, and let’s remember, even if they have hearing loss they are still just like everyone else, they too want to talk to people around them.
Now let’s understand and learn to communicate with people with hearing loss :
Nothing is impossible when you have the necessary support around you, and they have the will to get better. While hearing loss can be overwhelming it is important to understand it and manage it properly. Understanding its causes, signs, and ways to cope with it can help us deal with it.
Several tests are available to determine the kind and extent of hearing loss with accuracy. It is best to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
Wax removal, hearing aids, or surgery are some options to treat hearing loss.