Hearing Loss: A Common Problem For Older Adults

While we may expect some hair loss and reductions in our movement as a natural byproduct of ageing, many people don’t think of hearing loss the same way - until a hearing test uncovers that they’re affected. Approximately one-third of all adults over the age of 65 years have some degree of hearing loss,^[1] and this increases to 81% of those over 80 years and 93% of those over 90.^[2]

Age-related hearing loss (medically known as presbyacusis) tends to affect both ears and often has a slow and gradual onset. This is why many older adults do not realise that they’ve lost some of their ability to hear - until a family member asks why their TV volume is so loud.

While this loss of hearing can feel uncomfortable and uncertain, it can also be concerning for family members who worry about the safety, independence and quality of life of their loved ones. This is where regular ear health and hearing checks with a hearing care professional can detect changes at early stages before the reduced hearing starts interfering with your life. This also means that preventative management techniques can be put in place early to prevent hearing loss from getting worse and help you get the best outcomes for your hearing while keeping you comfortable.

Hearing loss isn’t just a matter of turning up the TV volume. Research has found that older adults with hearing loss are more likely to become socially isolated and depressed [3] and up to five times more likely to develop dementia.[4] It’s a serious concern that our hearing care team takes very seriously. So why do we experience hearing loss as we age, what early warning signs can you look out for, and what can hearing care specialists do to help with hearing loss? Here’s a look into hearing loss for older adults.

Understanding Age-Related Hearing Loss: How Do We Hear Sounds?

To make sense of what can cause hearing loss as we age, we must first understand a little about the complex process involved for our body to hear sounds:

1. First, sound waves enter our outer ear and travel through a narrow passageway called the ear canal, which leads to our eardrum.
2. When these sound waves hit the eardrum, they set it in motion. The eardrum is a paper-thin membrane that vibrates when sound waves hit it, similar to a drum.
3. The eardrum sends these vibrations to three tiny bones in the middle ear, which also move.
4. The movements from these bones transmit the sound waves into the inner ear and the cochlea, a snail shell-shaped organ filled with a fluid that also moves in response to the vibrations.
5. These fluid movements and vibrations are then transformed into electrical impulses by hair cells, which travel along the auditory nerve to our brain.
6. Finally, our brain processes and decodes these signals and turns them into meaningful sounds, like speech, a phone ringing, or a smoke alarm.

Why Do We Experience Hearing Loss As We Get Older?

Age-related hearing loss can happen for many different reasons, including:

• - Anatomical changes or damage to the small and delicate structures of the middle or inner ear, which can easily become damaged or less sensitive as you get older
• - Changes to blood flow within the ear
• - Changes between the nerve pathways that connect the ear to the brain
• - Alterations in the way that the brain processes electrical signals into sounds

You’re also more likely to experience an age-related hearing loss with the following risk factors:

• - A family history of hearing loss with ageing
• - Long-term smoking habits
• - Long-term exposure to noise damages the hair cells in your ears, especially for those who work in manual occupations[5]
• - Particular ototoxic medications that can damage the inner ear, including aspirin and NSAID pain relief, certain chemotherapy drugs, certain antibiotics, and more
• - Particular health conditions include ear infections, otosclerosis (an abnormal growth of bone that prevents the ear structures from functioning properly), high blood pressure, diabetes, strokes, brain injury, certain autoimmune conditions, kidney failure, cerebrovascular disease, and more

Signs And Symptoms Of Hearing Loss In Older Adults

As age-related hearing loss is often gradual, many people do not realise it’s happening, and the signs and symptoms may not be as obvious. Alongside this, some older people may feel embarrassed about their inability to hear and be hesitant to admit that they are having difficulties. We recommend making an appointment with a hearing care specialist if you notice the following symptoms:

• - Trouble hearing over the telephone
• - Difficulty following conversations when two or more people are talking
• - Frequently asking people to repeat what they are saying
• - Turning the TV volume up so loudly that others complain
• - Having a problem hearing with background noise, such as in a restaurant or cafe
• - Feeling that others mumble or slur their speech
• - Avoiding social situations where it may be difficult to hear or participate
• - Hesitancy to talk to new people
• - Often looking at people’s mouths as they speak in an attempt to lip-read
• - Frustration or arguments when trying to have conversations with friends or family
• Finding it easier to hear a man’s voice than a woman’s or child’s, as high-pitch noises are often more difficult to hear than lower, deeper tones

How Can Hearing Care Specialists Help With Hearing Loss?

Here at Kevin Paisley Hearing, our experienced hearing care professionals offer an advanced hearing assessment to assess your overall ear health, uncover the underlying cause of your hearing concerns, and create a tailored management plan to help. And from our professional perspective, it is never too late to book a hearing assessment and get the help you need.

Age-related hearing loss can have a range of causes, and everyone’s experience is unique. To find the best solution for your circumstances, we take a holistic approach and conduct many tests as part of our hearing assessment. When you book in with us, you can expect:

1. A Thorough Consultation With A Hearing Care Professional 

One of our trained hearing care professionals will start by taking a detailed medical and health history. They’ll discuss your concerns, the events that may have affected your hearing, and other relevant information.

2. Ear Examination

Next, they will use an illuminated instrument called an otoscope to look inside your ears. They will search for any problems in the ear canal or the eardrum that may affect your hearing. Common problems found in the ear canal include a build-up of wax, damage to the eardrum, an infection or inflammation, and many more.

3. Comprehensive Hearing Assessments

Next, we perform relevant hearing assessments based on what you need and what we have uncovered. These tests may include:

• - Audiogram: An audiogram takes place in a quiet, sound-treated room or booth to ensure that no outside noise interferes with your testing and accurate results. You'll put on a pair of headphones and undergo a ‘pure tone’ test. This is where a small machine called an audiometer beeps at different volumes and frequencies, and you'll be asked to press a button or raise your hand when you can hear each sound. Wearing earphones lets us measure the hearing of one ear at a time.

• - Bone Conduction Test: A bone conduction test is similar to a pure-tone test. You will wear a small device called an oscillator on your Mastoid bone, located behind your ear. The oscillator gently vibrates and sends sound directly into the cochlea in your inner ear. You will again be asked to indicate when you hear a beep, and your hearing care professional will record your results.

• - Tympanogram: A tympanogram changes the pressure within your middle ear. A small probe with a soft rubber tip may be placed in your ear - the probe acts as a soft plug sealing your ear canal and creates pressure changes to observe how well your eardrum moves.

• - Speech Test: A speech test is occasionally used to measure how well you hear and understand an ordinary conversation. It's similar to a pure tone test, except you'll listen to recorded words spoken at different volumes and then be asked to repeat what you hear.

4. Discussion Of Results And Treatment Options

Our hearing care professionals will chart the results of your assessments for each ear on an audiogram to assess the degree of your hearing loss and which part of your ear is affected. We will discuss your results with you and provide tailored treatment options to improve your hearing and overall ear health.

If the results show that you could benefit from a hearing aid or cochlear implant, we can discuss suitable technology and style options with you. Hearing devices have changed drastically over the years to keep up with technological advances and now offer features such as:

• - Smaller and discrete ear pieces that are less conspicuous than ever before
• - Rechargeability on the go
• - Connectivity to phone and television
• - Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) masking feature
• - Fall detection
• - Translation and other AI features

Don’t Delay Treatment: Get Your Ears Checked Today

Suppose you think you may develop hearing or are concerned for a loved one. In that case, it’s time to book an appointment with a qualified audiologist or ear care professional who can examine your ears, make an accurate diagnosis, rule out any underlying conditions, and get started on an appropriate treatment plan to prevent further hearing loss and minimise the impact it has on your life.

Hearing loss can be caused by various factors, including age-related conditions and other complications, such as impacted ear wax or a perforated eardrum. Therefore, getting formally diagnosed can provide peace of mind that you’re on the best track with your treatment.

Book an appointment with our friendly team at your local centre here.

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^[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27377351/

^[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22332170

^[3]https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/news/2014/nidcd-researchers-find-strong-link-between-hearing-loss-and-depression-adults

^[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4075051/#R10

^[5] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2767717