Elderly Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a problem that many people face especially as age catches up. Hearing problems faced by the elderly could range from missing certain sounds to those involving total deafness .Misunderstanding words in a conversation, missing musical notes or not hearing the doorbell are occurrences that are indicative of a hearing problem. Often elderly people are not aware of their own hearing problem and get frustrated or embarrassed at being unable to follow what is being said. Tackling hearing problem for the elderly is possible today with the use of devices such as hearing aids, medication, special training and even surgery.
Some of the signs that indicate a hearing problem in the elderly could be as follows –
- Words those are difficult to understand,
- When another person’s speech sounds slurred or mumbled especially when there is lot of background noise.
- Some sounds that may sound annoying or very loud.
- A ringing or hissing noise is heard in the background,
- TV shows, concerts and parties are avoidable because you can’t hear well.
The causes that lead to hearing loss or hearing problems are varied. Some of these are as follows-
- Exposure to very loud noises over a long period of time.
- Infections such as viral and bacterial infections.
- Certain conditions such as heart conditions, stroke, head injuries and tumor.
- Certain medical drugs, heredity or changes in the ear due to aging can also cause hearing problems.
Listed below are few things you can do if you have trouble hearing –
- Convey to others that you have trouble hearing.
- Concentrate on what is being said and pay attention to facial expressions and gestures.
- Request others to face you and speak more slowly and clearly without shouting.
- Convey the message to the person who is talking, if you do not understand what is being said, asking for the statement to be repeated and reworded.
Natural Ways to Improve Hearing
Hearing problems which are temporary can be naturally cured by treating the causes that have brought forth this problem.
– Ear wax build-up tends to harden over time and interfere with one’s hearing abilities. Warm natural oils, glycerin or hydrogen peroxide can be introduced into the ears through an eyedropper for a couple of days after which warm water irrigation of the ear canals be carried out to drain the softened wax out. After completely draining out the ears, they will need to be dried out to prevent any infection from setting in.
– To clear out an ear infection that may be causing temporary hearing loss, crush a couple of garlic pods and warm them up in some extra virgin olive oil. Cool, strain, and dribble a few drops in the infected ear. Wait for some time, and tilt the ear to let the oil drain out. Do this a couple more times to kill the microorganisms causing the infection, since garlic has natural compounds that act as potent antibiotics.
There are many more remedies, like oil of oregano and use of other essential oils that can help in improving one’s hearing abilities. However, these methods will need to be religiously followed for a very long time before any positive effects will be noted.