The First Signs of Age-Related Hearing Loss

Presbycusis, or as most people refer to it, age-related hearing loss, is hearing loss that occurs in people around the age of 60 and up. Age-related hearing loss happens slowly; for many, it may take a small amount of time before it is noticed. The first signs of age-related hearing loss are usually a decreased ability to hear high-pitched noises like the doorbell, the phone ringing and microwave beeps.

What are the Causes of Age-Related Hearing Loss?

 Age-related hearing loss occurs because, as we age, many changes occur in the body – including the ears. Here are some of the changes that take place and the common and not-so-common causes of age-related hearing loss:

• Smoking
• Side effects from some medications.
• Aging
• Genetic factors
• Loss of the hair cells in the hearing.
• Exposure to loud noises
• Changes within the middle ear of the inner ear.
• Nerve pathways to the brain

Can I Prevent Age-Related Hearing Loss? 

From as early as possible, you can take steps to help protect your hearing, although almost everyone will experience some level of age-related hearing loss. Talk to your audiologist about what you could do to help with your age-related hearing loss. Here are some tips for protecting your hearing:

• Don’t smoke
• If you use headphones or inner earbuds, stick to the 60/60 rule. Only 60% volume for an hour.
• Use ear protection when you are in the vicinity of a loud noise.
• Avoid unnecessarily loud noise exposure.
• Book an appointment immediately when you have ear pain, weeping or other ear issues.
• Don’t overuse or misuse cotton swabs.

Can Age-Related Hearing Loss Have Complications? 

Depending on the level of hearing loss, some complications can occur with age-related hearing loss:

• Avoidance of social situations and becoming lonely and isolated.
• Missing important information relating to legal, financial or health.
• Missing important meetings due to the inability to hear.
• Unable to hear the phone ringing and car alarms.

If you are noticing that you are shying away from social situations or missing certain aspects of your life, talk to your audiologist about what treatment options are available for you!

Are There Symptoms of Age-Related Hearing Loss?

The symptoms of age-related hearing loss can vary from person to person, although there are some common symptoms. If you think that you are experiencing any signs of age-related hearing loss talk to your audiologist.

If you think that you or a loved one has age-related hearing loss, here are some questions you can ask:

• Do you have trouble communicating with friends and family because you cannot hear them?
• When in a public place, is it difficult to focus on the voice of the people or person you are with?
• Do you avoid social situations due to your hearing?
• Do you often turn the volume up on the TV or radio?
• Are coworkers, friends and family appearing to be frustrated because you ask them to repeat themselves often?

What are the Warning Signs of Hearing Loss? 

Hearing loss that comes on slowly can be trickier to identify. But here are some of the first signs of age-related hearing loss that means you should book an appointment with an audiologist.

Age-related hearing loss is usually most noticeable with high-frequency noises and causes difficulty differentiating between consonants. Here are the ones that are usually in a higher frequency: ‘s,’ ‘f,’ ‘k,’ ‘v,’ ‘sh’ and ‘th’ since these sounds are so similar, they can make hearing them difficult.

Missing Sounds

We get so used to the same sounds every day that we might not notice they are missing for a short while. Noises like car alarms or birds singing are so common we expect to hear them. Age-related hearing loss means a slow loss of hearing, and you might not notice until it is pointed out.

Fatigue 

You may notice after social occasions or long work meetings that you are more tired than on a typical day. The tiredness you are experiencing is listening fatigue caused by listening particularly hard all day. Since hearing is a brain activity, it is possible for your brain to become more tired when your auditory system is compromised.

Ringing 

While tinnitus can have many causes, it is related to hearing loss. And it is one of the most common hearing complaints and is often described by people with age-related hearing loss. Tinnitus can present as whooshing, throbbing, ringing and buzzing.

If you think you or your loved one may have age-related hearing loss, it is important that you make an appointment so that your hearing can be tested. Call to make an appointment at Dr. Eimer’s Hearing Clinic at 231-333-5118.