Age-Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis)
Learn about age-related hearing loss (presbycusis), its causes, symptoms, and treatment options. Find out how to prevent age-related hearing loss and protect your hearing as you age.
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What information does an audiologist use to determine the appropriate treatment for hearing loss?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">An audiologist uses the specifics of a patient's hearing loss, including the affected ear and the frequencies at which hearing loss occurs, to determine the treatment.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">How does age-related hearing loss typically affect the ears?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Age-related hearing loss most often occurs in both ears, affecting them equally.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What is the most common type of sensorineural hearing loss in older individuals?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Presbycusis is the most common type of Sensorineural Hearing Loss caused by the natural aging of the auditory system.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What are the primary causes of presbycusis?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Presbycusis is primarily caused by changes in the inner ear as we age, but can also result from changes in the middle ear or complex changes along the nerve pathways from the ear to the brain, in addition to certain medical conditions and medications.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">How can one protect against noise-induced hearing loss?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Protecting against noise-induced hearing loss involves avoiding loud noises, reducing exposure time to loud noise, and using ear protection like ear plugs or ear muffs.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What is the prevalence of hearing loss among people aged 65 to 74 in the United States?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Approximately one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 in the United States has hearing loss.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What specific speech sounds become unclear to someone with presbycusis?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Higher-pitched sounds of speech, such as /s/ and /th/, sound unclear and indistinct to someone with presbycusis.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What are the common difficulties faced by individuals with hearing loss?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Individuals with hearing loss may have trouble understanding and following a doctor’s advice, responding to warnings, and hearing phones, doorbells, and smoke alarms, leading to feelings of isolation.</p>
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<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 1.5rem;">What factors can exacerbate the effects of presbycusis?</h2>
<p style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 1.2rem;">Noise-Induced Hearing Loss can compound the effects of presbycusis, potentially resulting in earlier onset of hearing loss.</p>
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