Age-related hearing loss is the third most common medical issue that affects older adults, exceeded only by high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. It’s also the most common type of hearing loss among older men and women, with symptoms beginning as early as our 20s and becoming progressively worse as we get older. In fact, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about a third of people between the ages of 65 and 74 years have some degree of age-related hearing loss, as well as about half of those over age 75.
Like other types of hearing loss, age-related hearing loss can cause a considerable decline in overall quality of life, as well as increasing your risks for other serious issues like depression, chronic anxiety, sadness and dementia, which makes getting appropriate and prompt treatment essential. Learning about age-related hearing loss is an important first step in making sure you get treatment as soon as possible.
What causes age-related hearing loss?
Most age-related hearing loss occurs when tiny sensory hair cells located in the inner ear become damaged or die off as a result of age-related changes. Once these cells no longer work, we lose our ability to hear clearly and to distinguish specific sounds or pitches (high or low sounds). Some chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes can also contribute to age-related hearing loss, and people who take certain medications (including chemotherapy drugs) may also be at an increased risk for hearing loss. Many people with age-related hearing loss also have some degree of noise-induced hearing loss what develops after exposure to loud noises.
What symptoms does age-related hearing loss cause?
The symptoms of age-related hearing loss can vary from one person to another and can include:
- problems hearing telephone conversations
- repeatedly asking people to repeat themselves
- the feeling that people are mumbling or speaking too softly
- problems hearing the TV at volumes that are normal for other people
- difficulty hearing conversations in noisy or windy environments
- hearing persistent “ringing” or buzzing noises (tinnitus)
How is age-related hearing loss treated?
There is no cure for age-related hearing loss, but it can be treated very effectively with the right hearing aids. Beltone’s line of digital hearing aids is designed to adapt and adjust to different listening environments automatically to make operation simple and hands-free, and customizable features let you optimize your hearing aids for a listening experience that’s more like the natural hearing experience you remember. Plus, additional features make it easier to hear conversations over the phone and in noisy environments, and you can even stream music and television audio direct to your hearing aids so you can enjoy your own personal, state-of-the-art headphones.
Schedule your free hearing test today.
The first step in treatment is to schedule a free hearing test and personalized hearing health assessment to look for signs of hearing loss as well as determine the type and extent of hearing loss you may be experiencing. The Beltone Audiology network includes more than two dozen locations throughout Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia so it’s easy to request a free hearing test and assessment. And if you can’t make it to one of our locations, we can come to you and perform your free hearing test right in your own home. To find out more about Beltone or to schedule your free hearing test, call 888-210-5846 or visit our locations page to contact one of our sites directly.