What is age-related deafness? Age-related deafness is a progressive hearing loss that occurs gradually with age and is due to aging of the auditory organs (degenerative changes) rather than to other causes of deafness. It is characterized by a slow progressive hearing loss and tinnitus in both ears.
How is senile deafness diagnosed?
1. Age: Generally over 60 years old, a few people may develop senile deafness after 40 years old.
2. Symptom characteristics: mainly deafness and tinnitus, no special cause of tinnitus and deafness.
3.Examination.
(1) Middle ear examination generally has no specific changes, and may show abnormalities such as cloudy tympanic membrane, thickening, and calcium spots.
(2) Hearing examination: mostly neurological deafness audiogram, or mixed deafness audiogram with predominantly neurological deafness.
(3) Speech discrimination examination: mostly shows decreased speech discrimination.
Misconceptions of senile deafness
1. Hearing loss in the elderly does not necessarily mean age-related deafness
Older people are more likely to change various ear diseases than younger people. In addition to age-related senile deafness, they can also suffer from other diseases that cause deafness. The common ones are.
(1) Sudden deafness, which is related to the blood supply to the cochlea caused by cardiovascular and cerebrovascular causes, and the earlier the treatment, the better the chance of recovery.
②Secretory otitis media secondary to a cold, which can be cured by timely treatment.
③ Cerumen embolism, which is more common in the elderly, can be cured. Therefore, as soon as you find hearing loss, you should go to the hospital for examination.
2, deafness in the elderly is a normal phenomenon – many elderly people have hearing loss, but often the hearing loss is considered normal degeneration, irreversible, simply “do not listen to the ears for the net”. In fact, many long-lived elderly people are not deaf, and age-related aging is not the main factor that causes deafness.
3.Tinnitus can become deaf
Many elderly people become nervous when they have tinnitus, and they even worry that they will become deaf. There are many causes of tinnitus, which should be promptly investigated at the hospital. Excessive worrying can lead to endocrine disorders, increased angiotensin and elevated blood pressure, which can aggravate inner ear lesions. In addition, some tinnitus may be a precursor to ear disease and should be treated promptly.
Principles of treatment for senile deafness
(1) Restoration or partial restoration of lost hearing: medication, surgery, etc.
(2) Preserve and use the residual hearing as much as possible: Get a hearing aid from a qualified hospital or hearing center instead of “buying” a hearing aid. You should learn to use your hearing aids actively to get the best results.