The medical term “presbycusis” is derived from the Greek words for elderly (presby-) and hearing (akousis). It’s a fitting name, since the condition affects two out of three people in the US aged 70 and older.  While age-related hearing loss is incurable to date, the use of hearing aids helps improve your hearing and prevent additional negative health conditions that are associated with hearing loss.   I wanted to use this month’s post to provide you with a comprehensive guide to presbycusis so you can seek treatment as early as possible and limit the impact of presbycusis on your lifestyle and quality of life. 

What Is Presbycusis? 

Presbycusis is a gradual loss of hearing that comes from the deterioration of the nerve cells that transmit sound signals from your ears to your brain. The condition comes in two forms: 

Sensory Presbycusis occurs as you lose outer hair cells in the organ known as the Corti at the base of your cochlea. 

Neural Presbycusis is the loss of the inner ear nerve cells in the cochlea and along the auditory pathway to your brain.

Risk Factors for Developing Presbycusis 

Aging is a primary risk factor in the development of age-related hearing loss. However, the time at which it occurs and the extent of the damage can be related to hereditary factors, as well as lifestyle factors.  The lifestyle factors that can increase the rate of nerve cell deterioration are ototoxicity and noise exposure.  The term ototoxicity is most often applied to the use of various types of medications that damage hearing nerve cells, but your level of risk can be extended to include other toxic substances you consume (cigarettes, alcohol, recreational drugs) as well as chemicals in the air or various solvents.  Exposure to loud noise can quicken the rate of deterioration of your ears’ nerve cells as well. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) can affect individuals much younger than 70 years of age due to either extreme noise events or frequent exposure to damaging noise on an ongoing basis. 

Warning Signs of Age-Related Hearing Loss 

Presbycusis comes on at a gradual rate, typically catching most people by surprise. However, there are several warning signs that you are experiencing the nerve cell deterioration that causes it, which should prompt you to get help, including: 

• Not being able to hear high-pitched sounds like birds singing or alarms 

• A need to increase the volume on your cell phone, television, computer, or tablet 

• The development of incessant ringing in your ears, or tinnitus 

• Difficulty understanding what people are saying when you’re in a crowded room or a noisy place like a restaurant or family gathering 

• Fatigue from straining to hear conversations at an event or throughout your day 

• Issues with dizziness, vertigo, or balance 

• Dull pain or fullness in your ears that never goes away 

  
  

Why It Is Important to Seek Treatment for Presbycusis 

All forms of hearing loss come with additional complications when they are left untreated. In addition to making it difficult to communicate, untreated hearing loss typically leads to relationship issues, mental health issues, and some negative physical conditions.  Because verbal communication is so important to our lives, untreated hearing loss becomes an obstacle to being able to maintain healthy relationships, whether personal, professional, or social.  As you struggle to understand conversations, you are apt to begin to withdraw from the discomfort of being around others, isolating yourself. Social isolation typically produces anxiety disorder and depression, which can lead to various physical health issues as well.  Left untreated, hearing loss is also directly connected to a loss of cognitive function, leading to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and can produce vestibular dysfunctions leading to dizziness, vertigo, and balance disorders. 

Diagnosing Presbycusis 

The only way to diagnose presbycusis is with a comprehensive hearing assessment, which will typically include: 

• A discussion of your hearing loss risk factors and medical history 

• A physical examination of the outer and middle ear structures 

• Pure-tone testing 

• Bone conduction testing 

• Speech and speech-in-noise testing 

• Tympanometry testing 

These tests produce a measurable graphic profile of the amount of hearing loss you have incurred. This data is then used to determine proper treatment and then program hearing aids to specifically address your deficiencies. 

Treatment Options and Prevention 

First of all, there is no cure for hearing loss, and treatment is not the same for everyone with presbycusis. However, the vast majority of cases can be improved with the use of hearing aids.  The selection and programming of the right hearing aids to meet your hearing needs, as well as your lifestyle, budget, and personal preferences, is extremely important when it comes to providing an adequate solution to overcoming your condition and meeting your better hearing goals.  Other than not growing old, there is no way to truly prevent presbycusis, but you can hold it at bay by becoming aware of the ototoxic triggers you are exposed to as well as monitoring and protecting your ears from noise levels that can damage your hearing.  Many experts also believe that taking care of your overall health can decrease the rate of deterioration as well as the impact of presbycusis, which may be linked to conditions like high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and coronary artery disease.  

When Should I See an Audiologist? 

Early detection lessens the impact of presbycusis on your lifestyle and quality of life. Consequently, one of the most important steps you can take after the age of 50, whether you are experiencing the early warning signs of hearing loss or not, is to begin scheduling annual hearing assessments.  Once your baseline hearing capacity is identified, we are able to more easily track measurable changes to your hearing as it occurs, rather than relying on the warning signs to motivate a treatment response.

Scheduling frequent hearing assessments at Audicles Hearing Services is the most proactive way to ensure that you are able to begin treating your presbycusis before it begins to take a toll on your relationships, mental and physical health, and quality of life. 

Take your first step toward overcoming presbycusis by scheduling a hearing assessment with one of our audiologists today or giving us a call at 210-820-0525. 

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