Is it normal for people to be hard of hearing as they age?

Will people become deaf and hard of hearing as they age? Is it normal for the elderly to be deaf? Just speak louder and it will be fine? Ear, nose and throat experts said: These are common misunderstandings in clinics! Presbycusis has many hidden risks, and hearing damage is irreversible. The public should diagnose, treat and prevent it early.

Do you hear male and female voices differently? Beware of presbycusis!

China is entering an aging society, and the hearing health of the elderly is a major issue related to their quality of life. According to the World Health Organization data in 2018, about one-third of the elderly over 65 years old have moderate or above hearing loss. Hearing impairment is the third most common chronic disease in the world, second only to arthritis and hypertension. Presbycusis has a high incidence in my country and has become the primary factor of hearing disability. According to the second national census of the disabled population, hearing-impaired elderly people accounted for 76.87% of the total hearing-impaired population, ranking first.

"It's not that you can't hear all sounds, but you often can't hear women's voices and children's voices? Then you should be alert to presbycusis!" Jiao Yuenong, deputy director of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the 12th People's Hospital of Guangzhou, said that unlike ordinary deafness, presbycusis often has poor hearing for high frequencies and poor clarity and resolution when multiple people speak at the same time. This is also one of the main reasons why presbycusis is often ignored and causes trouble.

Presbycusis refers to sensorineural hearing loss that occurs gradually with age, with high-frequency hearing loss as the hearing loss increases. Jiao Yuenong said that if you think you have always had no hearing problems, but recently you have the following symptoms, it is recommended that you go to the hospital for a specialist examination. Among them, the fifth point is the earliest manifestation of presbycusis, which deserves special attention:

1. Often feel that you can't hear clearly when you are on the phone; 2. When two or more people are talking at the same time, it feels a bit difficult to hear what they are saying; 3. Turn up the TV volume very loudly; 4. Need to listen hard to hear others clearly; 5. Often ask others to repeat what they said; 6. Feel that many people speak like they are mumbling; 7. Often misunderstand what others say and make inappropriate responses; 8. Often feel that you can't hear women's voices and children talking.

Is deafness normal for the elderly? It increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease!

Is it normal for the elderly to be deaf? As long as the other person speaks louder, it will be fine? Jiao Yuenong reminded that the risk of Alzheimer's disease in the elderly with hearing loss is also greatly increased.

Studies have shown that elderly people with presbycusis are prone to hearing loss, reduced language comprehension, reduced emotional and social communication abilities, and a lack of interest in the things around them. Over time, they become suspicious, jealous, and inferior, and even experience psychological and mental problems such as anxiety and depression, as well as social isolation, which increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease in the elderly. The incidence of Alzheimer's disease in elderly people with mild, moderate, and severe hearing loss is 2 times, 3 times, and 5 times that of elderly people with normal hearing, respectively.

At the same time, presbycusis will reduce the elderly’s ability to avoid danger and increase the risk of accidents, because they will have a reduced ability to perceive danger warning sounds in daily life (such as high-frequency traffic horns, fire alarms, reminders from people around them, etc.), a reduced ability to locate sounds, and problems in judging the direction of danger warning signals.

Scientific fitting of hearing aids: more than just a "sound amplifier"

Once hearing is damaged, it is difficult to reverse. Therefore, early diagnosis, early treatment and early prevention are the key. Popularizing hearing screening for the elderly and conducting early diagnosis of presbycusis can effectively increase the detection rate, thereby selecting appropriate treatment and intervention methods to improve hearing conditions.

Jiao Yuenong said that scientific fitting of hearing aids is the currently recommended intervention method. Hearing aids are not just simple sound "magnifiers". Patients' hearing in different frequency bands is inconsistent, so it is necessary to individually adjust the hearing aids for different frequency bands to make the hearing in different frequency bands reach a comfortable level. For severe or extremely severe hearing loss, cochlear implants can also be chosen.

In addition, the elderly have many chronic diseases, and when they take multiple medications at the same time, the risk of drug interactions increases. It is recommended to consult a doctor before taking medication and try to avoid ototoxic drugs.