HEARING LOSS IN THE ELDERLY

Hearing Loss In The Elderly

Decreased hearing or hearing loss affects many people.   Hearing loss can occur for a variety of reasons.  The most common reason being when having extended exposure to loud or continuous noise.  Other reasons include:  certain illnesses,  heredity and some illnesses.  We also can count on losing some hearing as a result of the normal aging process.  Getting your hearing tested when you reach a senior age or if experiencing a hearing problem is another part of  preventative healthcare that should be completed.  

The very easiest kind of hearing loss that occurs is called conductive hearing loss.  Causes of this kind of hearing loss include the buildup of earwax which can easily be removed by an ENT doctor (ears, nose and throat), or at times an ear infection.   The other popular type of hearing loss is sensorineural.  This kind of loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear.  With this kind of loss you may have trouble understanding speech especially in places with a lot of background noise.  Others that suffer from this kind of loss experience tinnitus which is a very annoying ringing or buzzing sound heard in the ear.  The only solution for this type of hearing loss is hearing aides.

Studies conducted by the National Council on Aging found that people who suffer from hearing loss suffer from depression, anxiety, isolation and insecurity.  As we age there is a significant decline in socialization and why would your loved one want to be around others having fun when they can’t hear the conversations.  So with increased isolation there is increased depression.  The issues will have the snowball effect.  With the isolation increasing it will cause more depression and then will cause an anxiety disorder when having to be around others because of not hearing.  Then this will be followed by agitation and paranoia thinking others are talking about them because they are not able to hear the proper words being spoken.  

A new study shows that hearing loss may also be associated with an increased risk of dementia and the development of Alzheimer’s.  The reason this happens is due to the mind can’t understand what the mind can’t hear.  There needs to be a balance between the ears to comprehend and process information.  

So when your loved one is having difficulty hearing conversations or saying excuse me or what,  it is probably time to have a follow up appointment with a doctor to check if you have a conductive hearing loss and a repair can be done or ear wax removed to improve the hearing.  After that a doctor may recommend a hearing test to determine the damage. Just don’t assume that it is early dementia due to most of the symptoms being the same.   Get tested so it can be fixed and you will have prevented one of the causes of dementia.   It is never easy to have a senior citizen purchase hearing aids.  The first reason is most insurances don’t cover the cost which is very expensive. The second reason is denying the need and of course getting used to wearing them.  If you determine a problem before the loss is significant and the age of the senior is on the younger side you will have a better chance of getting them to use  the aids and wearing them for the end stages of their lives.  It will positively impact the issues that  seniors experience later in life.