Presbycusis, also known as age-related hearing loss, is the number one cause of hearing loss across the world. As we get older, our hearing cells naturally begin to stop functioning as they used to—the assumption that hearing loss comes with old age is partially correct.
If you’re struggling with age-related hearing loss, you don’t have to deal with it alone.
Hearing loss challenges not only our ears, but also our social lives, our balance, our memory, and our cognition; the sooner you seek out treatment to help alleviate presbycusis, the better.
What Causes Presbycusis?
Age-related hearing loss, for many of us, happens quite naturally; we all get older, and our bodies age along with us. Hearing cells are some of the first to go, especially for those within the 70-90 age range.
Many individuals are genetically predisposed to presbycusis. If your parents or grandparents dealt with hearing loss when they got older, chances are that you will too.
Alternatively, noise exposure can lead to presbycusis and hearing loss earlier than 70-90— remember all the concerts and bars you used to go to and how you came home with ringing ears afterwards? We’ve all been there!
How Does Presbycusis Affect My Daily Life?
No matter how you came to acquire age-related hearing loss, it can affect your day-to-day life in various ways.
High-frequency sounds, such as the doorbell, children’s voices, and a phone ringing, can slowly grow quieter and quieter as you gradually lose the ability to hear them at all. Speech comprehension, especially in busy environments, can become difficult. Sounds may feel muffled or far away.
Your hearing is severely impacted with presbycusis, but your quality of life is affected, too; communication challenges between loved ones can lead to feelings of isolation or frustration when you need constant repetition to understand or can’t hear them at all.
Hearing loss has also been connected to cognitive decline, which can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia later down the line.
Hearing loss affects your ears, but it also majorly affects your life.
How Do You Diagnose and Treat Presbycusis?
The best way to diagnose presbycusis is through a comprehensive hearing assessment. With regular hearing testing, you can monitor your current range of hearing and see what you need to help enhance it.
Your audiologist will perform diagnostic hearing tests to see what your hearing needs to succeed and then tailor a treatment plan to fit your unique requirements.
Treatment for age-related hearing loss can include communication strategies to help alleviate frustration between patients and their loved ones, addressing the rifts that can form between people because of poor communication.
Assistive listening devices, like prescription hearing aid technology, can also help address hearing challenges from presbycusis by optimizing your hearing health to stronger levels. Hearing aids tailored to your unique hearing loss challenges can help provide clarity and enhanced listening capabilities, no matter your needs.
Age-related hearing loss can be daunting to deal with, but you don’t have to deal with it on your own. With the help of professional, personalized hearing care, you can get back to enjoying your golden years and hearing the life you love with clear, crisp hearing.
Comprehensive Hearing Care With Acadian Hearing
If you’ve read this far, perhaps you’re thinking about learning more about advanced hearing care and how it can help your specific needs. We’re here to help!
You can schedule an appointment with us online or get in touch with us via a callback if you have questions or concerns making you hesitate. Our team will get back to you as soon as we can.
Alternatively, you can give us a call at (337) 436-3277.