1. Hearing Loss
What you need to know

2. What is hearing loss?
 One of most common conditions of older adults
(30% up to 74 years, 47% 75+ years)
 Can be mild (only missing high pitched sounds) to
total loss of hearing
 Hereditary or disease
 Two categories:
 Sensorineural (damage to inner ear, permanent)
 Conductive (sound waves can’t reach inner ear,
might be treatable)
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/hearingloss/hearinglossde
fined/01.html

3. Hearing loss

4. Visual
guide:
Hearing
loss
http://e-infopages.com/2012/turn-down-the-volume-to-avoid-
hearing-loss/

5. Presbycusis
• Comes on gradually as we age
• Can occur because of changes in ear
• Causes: aging, loud noise, heredity, head
injury, infection, illness, drugs, circulation
• May make it hard to tolerate loud sounds
or hear what others are saying

6. Tinnitus
• Common symptom of hearing loss
• Characterized by ringing, hissing or
roaring in ears
• Can be caused by exposure to loud
noise or medicines
• Symptom, not a disease
• Can also be sign of other important
health problems like allergies & problems
in heart & blood vessels

7. Causes & prevention
 Aging not only cause
 Also ear infection, medicines such as
antibiotics or even aspirin
 Hereditary
 Loud noise (avoid loud noise from
lawnmowers, snowblowers, motorcycles,
firecrackers and loud music)
 Remove excess ear wax
 Avoid illness which can cause infection

8. Should I test my hearing?
 Problem hearing on the phone?
 Trouble hearing when there is
background noise?
 Hard to talk with more than 2 at a
time?
 Strain to understand?
 Misunderstand speech?
 Often ask to repeat?
 Trouble understanding women
and children speech?
 Do you listen to TV too high?
 Hear ringing, roaring, hissing?
 Are some sounds too loud?

9. Treatment & research
 Hearing aids: 25 – 29% 70 years and older wear
them
 Many shapes, sizes
 Analog or digital
 Analog may be adjusted with computer for
different environments
 Digital use computer chip and most flexible. Also
most expensive
 Other options: TV listening systems, hearing aids
that plug into TVs, stereos, microphones
 Telecoil small magnetic coil that allows users to
receive sound through hearing aid rather than
microphone. Can also work with sound systems in
large gatherings like churches, schools, airports

10.  Small electronic device
Other treatments: placed under skin &
behind ear
Cochlear Implants  Picks up sounds, changes
to electrical signals,
sends to non-working
part of inner ear and
brain.
 Doesn’t restore or create
normal hearing, but
helps people become
aware of surroundings &
understand speech
 Does require training on
how to interpret sounds

11. How cochlear implants work:
 External microphone &
speech processor
 Worn behind ear
 Transmitter sends
radiofrequency signals
to surgically implanted
electronic chip
(receiver – stimulator)
which stimulates
auditory nerve with
electrodes threaded
through cochlea
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM0
3853

12. More about hearing aids