By Aidyn Jarek
Noise, aging, sickness, and genetics contribute significantly to hearing impairment. Conferring with loved ones can be challenging for those who suffer from hearing loss. There’s a chance they won’t be able to follow a doctor’s orders, react to warnings, or even listen to doorbells or sirens.
Depressed or socially isolated moods might develop in the elderly who have trouble hearing due to frustration and embarrassment at their inability to follow conversations. When older people can’t hear well, they might be unfairly called confused, unresponsive, or unwilling to work with others.
Untreated or unaddressed hearing loss might worsen. You should visit a doctor if you have trouble hearing. Helpful treatments include hearing aids, specialised instruction, medication, and surgical intervention.
Warning Signs of Hearing Loss
Some people have trouble hearing yet are oblivious to the fact. If you have any of the following symptoms, it may be time to contact a doctor.
Suffer from phone-related hearing loss.
- Experience difficulty keeping up with a conversation involving three or more people.
- It’s good practise to have individuals repeat themselves frequently.
- The TV needs to be turned up so loud that everyone in the room starts complaining.
- Struggle to hear because of excessive loudness.
- Conclude that people around you seem to babble.
- Women’s and children’s voices sound like gibberish to you.
Types of Hearing Impairment
There are several types of hearing impairment. It can range from a slight impairment, where one has trouble hearing higher-pitched noises like women’s and children’s voices, to a complete inability to hear anything.
Hearing loss can be broken down into two broad categories:
- Inner ear and auditory nerve injuries lead to sensorineural hearing loss. Loss of hearing in one or both ears due to this condition is typically irreversible.
- A condition known as conductive hearing loss results when the inner ear is blocked from sound; possible causes include an accumulation of earwax or fluid, a perforated eardrum, or a fluid leak. Conduction hearing loss can often be corrected through medical treatment or surgery.
Sudden Hearing Loss
Sudden hearing loss is known as abrupt sensorineural hearing loss or sudden deafness. It can strike suddenly or gradually over up to three days. This situation constitutes a true medical emergency. In the event of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, medical attention must be sought promptly.
Age-Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis)
Presbycusis, often known as age-related hearing loss, is a condition that develops gradually over time. It appears to be genetic and may be caused by alterations in the cochlea and auditory nerve. Presbycusis can affect a person’s ability to hear and be heard, particularly at extreme volumes.
Typically, both ears will be affected by hearing loss due to aging. Presbycusis is a loss of hearing that gets worse over time and may not be noticed by the person who has it.
Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus)
Also prevalent among the elderly is tinnitus. Although ringing in the ears is the most common description, it can also be described as roaring, clicking, hissing, or buzzing. The feeling is transient at best. It could be loud or quiet, and it could be heard in one or both ears. In some cases, tinnitus is the initial indicator of hearing loss in the elderly. As well as being a symptom of various health issues, including high blood pressure, allergies, or the adverse effects of drugs, tinnitus can occur alongside any form of hearing loss. A nurse examines an elderly patient’s ears.
There is no sickness with the name “tinnitus.” Tinnitus can be caused by anything as harmless as a build-up of earwax in the ear canal, but it can also result in more severe health issues.
Reasons Your Hearing Might Be Deteriorating
Noise pollution is a significant contributor to the epidemic of hearing loss that affects one in five Americans. Damage to the inner ear, caused by loud noises such as lawnmowers, snow blowers, or music, can be permanent. Intense noise might also trigger tinnitus symptoms. The majority of hearing loss caused by loud environments is preventable. To avoid hearing loss, it is recommended that you reduce the volume of your stereo, television, or headphones; relocate to a quieter area, or use earplugs or other forms of ear protection.
An accumulation of earwax or fluid might obstruct the transmission of sounds from the eardrum to the inner ear. Consult a medical professional if the wax build-up is causing health issues. To help soften earwax, they may recommend a few gentle treatments.
A perforated eardrum can also cause loss of hearing. Cotton-tipped swabs, among other things, can puncture the eardrum by infection, pressure, or direct contact. If you are experiencing ear pain or drainage, you must see a doctor.
Hearing loss is a typical problem among the elderly and can be exacerbated by age-related health problems, including diabetes and hypertension. Hearing loss can also be caused by bacterial and viral infections (such as otitis media), heart disease, stroke, brain injury, and tumours.
Medication-induced hearing loss is another possibility. Drugs classified as “ototoxic” can cause lasting harm to the inner ear. Medications used to treat severe infections, cancer, and heart disease are among those that can be ototoxic. Some antibiotics might cause hearing loss. Aspirin can be harmful if used in large enough quantities. If you experience any side effects while taking a drug, you must contact your doctor.
Hearing loss can also run in families. Some inherited kinds of hearing loss, however, do not manifest until later in life. Some types can manifest much later in life. For example, otosclerosis is thought to be an inherited disease in which abnormal bone growth makes it hard for tissues in the ear to work.
Conquering Hearing Loss: Strategies for Living Independently
The first step in dealing with hearing loss is consulting a medical professional. If your hearing is impaired, try these strategies:
Declare your hearing loss to the world.
- Demand that everyone turn to face you and speak more slowly and clearly. Tell them to raise their voices without yelling.
- Listen carefully and watch for non-verbal cues such as body language and expressions.
- Don’t be shy about letting the speaker know if you’re having trouble following along.
- Try again after having the speaker rephrase a sentence.
It would help if you chose a decent listening spot. Find a calmer area to converse in and try to position yourself so that the speaker is not directly in front of a noisy background.
If you suspect a hearing issue, the first thing you should do is consult a doctor. If you have trouble hearing, you should see your primary care physician. Your primary care physician may also recommend seeing a specialist, such as an audiologist. In addition, you can get a Weber test for free from a nearby shop.
Devices to Help with Hearing Loss
Your doctor or expert may recommend a hearing aid. As electronic, battery-operated devices, hearing aids amplify sound. Hearing aids come in a wide variety of styles. You should check with your insurance provider to see if they would pay for a hearing aid before investing. Inquire about a trial period to ensure the product suits your needs. A hearing aid professional or audiologist will instruct you on how to operate your device.
Some people with trouble hearing may benefit from hearing aids, mobile apps, alerting devices, or cochlear implants. Individuals with profound hearing loss can benefit from electrical appliances called cochlear implants. However, they are not effective for all cases of hearing loss. Doorbells, smoke alarms, and alarm clocks are just a few devices that can be integrated with alert systems to send you audible or tactile alerts.
