Hearing issues among senior citizens are widespread nowadays!!

In various reports, it has been found that one out of every three people aged between 65 to 74 suffers from mild or severe hearing loss.

But the problem with this is that many people don’t want to admit that they are suffering from hearing loss or deafness. And later on, this can lead to severe hearing issues, which may not even be curable!!

Now you might be wondering why hearing loss occurs in the first place?

This can be due to many reasons, but aging and exposure to high sound can be vital reasons for hearing loss. But in many cases, people can even inherit deafness from their parents or grandparents.

Our senior citizens can face a lot of problems regarding hearing loss. And it can indeed be very depressing for them as well. Getting adjusted to this new life might not be a cup of tea, and it can also have hindrance in their regular activities like listening to the doorbells, alarms, struggling to communicate, and many more.

Through this article, I’ll be talking about all the ins and outs of hearing the health of senior citizens!!! Therefore, read till the end to get the ultimate guide!!

Hearing Loss And Its Symptoms

Hearing loss can go far worse if not treated at the right time. It really can become a hard nut to crack especially, for senior or older adults.

Therefore, in this section, you’ll be seeing all the signs or symptoms of deafness. And if you notice any of these indications, common contact your doctor as early as possible.

If you:

• Face difficulties in hearing on the phone

• Think you are unable to follow the conservations when people are talking

• Have to increase the volume of your television to such an amount that others make a fuss

• Repeatedly ask people to repeat what they have said.

• You can’t hear anything properly due to background noises.

• Feel that others are not speaking loud enough

All these are the primary symptoms that you are at the initial stage of hearing loss, and if you see any of these symptoms are common for you, you should seek the attention of an audiologist!!!

The Types of Deafness That Senior Citizens Encounter

There are quite a few types of hearing loss that you’ll find familiar among older adults.

These hearing conditions can range from mild to severe, depending on the situation of your hearing.

In this section of the article, I’ll be talking about the types of deafness that you can encounter with.

Sudden Hearing Loss

Sudden hearing loss is an overnight hearing loss. In short, you can have hearing loss all at once, or it might take you a duration of 2 to 3 days to completely lose the ability to hear.

In such cases, don’t wait for a minute!! As early as possible, contact your audiologist and seek his guidance as this can be a severe issue if not treated at the right time.

The more you delay, the worse it can get!!!

Presbycusis

It simply means deafness that occurs due to age-related problems. These sort of deafness-related problems arise due to a gradual increase in age.

This can also be genetic; it simply means someone in your family might have had these issues before, which kept running in the family, or this can also be due to sudden changes in the auditory nerve or inner ear.

This particular condition can make it unbearable for people to tolerate high or loud sounds. And can also cause problems to hear people properly.

Presbycusis can lead to damage to both ears. And it can gradually take down your hearing abilities before you even know it!! In this case, the whole hearing loss procedure is gradual and steady. So, you might even not know that already you have started to lose some of your hearing abilities.

Tinnitus

This condition is widespread among senior citizens. You can say that these are ringing sounds that can be heard in your ears in easy words.

But not necessarily the sound needs to be ringing; it can also be more like a roaring, hizzing, or even buzzing sound.

There’s no certainty how the sound might be; it can be soft or even loud. And this can affect only one or both ears. Older people tend to develop this condition mainly.

But the fact that you might be aware of tinnitus doesn’t only mean you’re suffering from hearing loss. It can also indicate various other problems like allergies, high blood pressures, or even can be due to medication side effects.

In contrast, tinnitus is more like a symptom rather than a condition or disease. Even a little earwax blocking your ear canal can result in tinnitus.

Treatment For This!!

I’ll recommend that you first and foremost consult your doctor before proceeding with any treatments if you face hearing issues.

As your audiologist knows, the best treatment for you. So you should seek his attention first!!!

Moreover, if you have trouble hearing, then you should do the following:

• Don’t hide your hearing problems from others

• Pay more attention to what people are trying to say or imply

• Give attention to the gestures and expressions to have a clear idea of what they are talking about

• Don’t feel shy in telling people to talk slowly and more clearly. And if necessary, request them to speak loudly.
•   Find a place which is quiet and not too crowded then you can communicate easily and more effectively.

Hearing Aid Devices: A Technological Solution

Hearing devices can be one of the best solutions in these cases. Hearing aids have evolved so much in recent years, and it has indeed been a help to many people.

These devices are ideally suited if you are suffering from mild or moderate deafness.

But don’t go on getting a hearing device on your own. Always consult a doctor beforehand as there are many types of hearing devices present. So, it’s wise to take your audiologist’s suggestion on this, as he knows the perfect one suited for your case.

I hope this article will now help you with all the ins and outs of the hearing health of senior citizens!!!

Source: https://nanohearingaids.com/blogs/news