I. Overview of senile deafness As people grow older, their auditory system will degenerate due to aging and the hearing function will be reduced, even caused by sensorineural deafness, which is senile deafness, is a natural phenomenon of human aging. The age of onset and progression of the disease varies from person to person, with some people developing hearing impairment at the age of 50 and others still having good hearing at the age of 80 or 90. This is related to genetic factors, living conditions, living environment, mental state, physical condition and other factors. Age-related deafness is mostly seen in men, urban residents, workers, those who have a habit of smoking and drinking, and those who suffer from chronic wasting diseases and cardiovascular diseases for a long time. About 30-60% of people over 60 years of age in China have hearing impairment, and 50-70% of them will have tinnitus. Patients with senile deafness are generally characterized by inability to hear in the bass, reluctance to hear in the treble, slower conversation with others, and fear of noisy environment. 2. Types of senile deafness 1. Sensorineural deafness. The lesion is characterized by damage, reduction and degeneration of the auditory hair cells and supporting cells around the base of the cochlea, so the patient’s high-frequency hearing is severely damaged, and the hearing curve is steeply descending. 2. Neurological deafness. The lesion is mainly characterized by atrophy of spiral ganglion and snail nerve. Therefore, the patient is insensitive to high-frequency sounds, the hearing curve of both ears is flat and declining, and the recognition of speech is worse than the recognition of sound, which belongs to auditory schizophrenia. 3.Vascular deafness. Also known as metabolic age-related deafness. The lesion is mainly characterized by atrophy of the vascular pattern of the cochlea. The hearing curve is gradually declining, and the ability to recognize speech is better than the ability to recognize sound. 4.Cochlear conduction deafness. It is also called mechanical age-related deafness. The lesion is characterized by thickening of the basilar membrane of the inner ear, calcium salt deposition, reduction of elastic fibers, and transparent degeneration. The hearing curve decreases significantly in the high-frequency tone region, which has less effect on general speaking sounds. III. Treatment of senile deafness There is no more effective way to reverse this phenomenon, but only some treatments to improve the patient’s partial hearing or slow down its deafness progression, and these treatments may be effective only for a few patients with early senile deafness. The types of drugs commonly used for treatment are: ① neurotrophic agents that dilate blood vessels and improve microcirculation, ② endocrine preparations such as sex hormones, ③ lipoprotein preparations, ④ vitamin preparations, ⑤ Chinese herbal medicines that activate blood circulation and open up Qi, ⑥ tranquilizing and tonic Chinese medicines, ⑦ sedatives, ⑧ trace element preparations. Active treatment of systemic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidemia, can reduce the incidence and slow down the development of deafness. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also available for some patients. Those with significant hearing loss can be fitted with hearing aids of appropriate power to facilitate conversation, avoid loneliness and pessimism, and improve the quality of life. Prevention of senile deafness Prevention of senile deafness is crucial and should be started from anti-aging. ①Appropriate physical exercise and also rubbing massage on the auricle to enhance the blood circulation in the ear. ②Keep a healthy mind and arrange your daily life reasonably. ③ Pay attention to the regulation of diet, avoid “three highs and one low” (high sugar, high salt, high cholesterol, low vitamin), and eat more food with high zinc and iron content. ④ Quit bad habits and avoid the stimulation of noise. ⑤ Do not use drugs at will when you are ill, especially drugs that have toxic effects on hearing. ⑥Make a physical examination every six months to one year, if there is a systemic disease or hearing loss, it should be treated in time.