Can You Slow Down Age-Related Hearing Loss?

Are you wondering how to slow down age-related hearing loss? You are not alone. Many people are looking to understand the causes, symptoms, and ways to slow the pace of hearing loss.

Age-related hearing loss or presbycusis is the slow but gradual loss of normal hearing, usually in both ears, and it is mostly connected to aging. Presbycusis affects the ability to hear high-pitched sounds such as a phone ringing or beeping of a microwave.

The most common type of hearing loss is called sensorineural hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is permanent, and it happens when tiny hair cells, sensory cells, or nerves are harmed or damaged. The hair cells do not regrow, so the hearing loss is permanent. Sensorineural hearing loss is prevalent in the elderly because the longer you are exposed to the causes of hearing loss the higher your chance of losing your hearing.

Hearing loss prevention and treatment can be similar. However, treatment focuses on early diagnosis of disease and precautions needed to slow down the hearing loss. First, we educate ourselves on causes, symptoms, and prevention associated with hearing loss.

Causes of Hearing Loss

Exposure to Loud Noises: The most common cause of age-related hearing loss is being exposed to loud noises. It is well-known that exposure to loud noise causes a variety of health issues, such as short-term memory loss, ringing in the ears, and low blood pressure.

Wax Build-up: Another common cause of hearing loss is ear wax buildup, which can lead to hearing loss, especially if the ear is exposed to excessive moisture. Earwax buildup cause sensitivity to any noise and ringing in the ears.

Drugs: There are medications and drugs that can cause ringing in the ears. Some of the drugs include aspirin, nicotine, and alcohol. Some medications can aggravate conditions, which can lead to severe forms of tinnitus.

Exposure to chemicals: Daily exposure to certain chemicals can be a cause of hearing loss. Chemicals exposure causes pain in the back of the ear.

Heredity: Inherited factors can contribute to hearing loss. Studies show that heredity is a possible cause of hearing loss in children.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hearing loss begin with an inability to hear high-pitched sounds, background noises, or difficulty hearing others speak clearly. Other symptoms include:

1. Hearing difficulty in noisy areas
2. Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
3. Requesting others to repeat conversations
4. Hard to understand phone conversations

Consult with your doctor if you experience these symptoms. They could be signs of other medical conditions and should be checked by a doctor.

Prevention

There may not be ways to prevent age-related hearing loss, but you can slow it down by following the below tips.

1. Avoid exposure to loud sounds.
2. Wear ear protection
3. Control wax buildup
4. If you have diabetes, check you blood sugar

Conclusion

Age-related hearing loss is progressive, and it slowly deteriorates over time. If you think that you are experiencing symptoms related to hearing loss see your doctor. Untreated hearing loss can lead to permanent damage to the brain, leading to a lifetime of suffering.

Consult with your eye doctor about available treatments and ways to minimize the hearing loss. There are hearing assistant devices design to improve your quality of life.