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Hearing loss is a common condition as we age. In fact, between the ages of 65 and 74 approximately one in three people in the United States have begun to experience some hearing loss. That number increases to nearly half after 75 years old.
Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss
Now that we know how common hearing loss is in older adults, it’s important to know what to look for with hearing loss. There are signs that others may point out to you or, on the other hand, there are symptoms you may notice yourself that signal changes to your hearing.
- One of the biggest complaints in those with hearing loss may be surprising to you. Instead of complaining about an inability to hear, instead it is more common to have difficulty understanding. In age related hearing loss, this is due to the changes in higher frequencies that make understanding and comprehension more difficult.
- Another common issue among those with hearing loss is difficulty understanding conversations in crowded areas, or areas with a lot of background noise. This could be in a restaurant or even at home with family and friends where lot of conversations happening at once.
- A sign from others that there have been changes to your hearing is an increasing amount of comments that people are having to repeat themselves. They may also comment that your television or music is too loud for them.
Types of Hearing Loss
If you are experiencing any of these signs and symptoms or have simply begun to notice changes in your hearing yourself, it could have many causes. The most common, as discussed, is age-related hearing loss but why does this happen? And what are the other possible causes?
There are three primary types of hearing that include sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss.
- Sensorineural hearing loss occurs in the inner ear and can be caused by noise exposure, medications, diseases and disorders, as well as head and neck trauma. It is the category that age-related hearing loss falls into as well. It is generally considered permanent loss and can impact each ear differently.
- Conductive hearing loss occurs in the middle and outer ear. It is mainly caused by obstructions and infections and therefore can sometimes be reversed with the removal of the obstruction, such as ear wax. Similar to sensorineural hearing loss, it can impact each ear differently.
- Mixed hearing loss is a combination of the other two types of hearing loss. For example, if someone has age related hearing loss as well as ear wax buildup causing further hearing loss.
What is Hidden Hearing Loss?
There is another type of hearing loss that is still being studied called hidden hearing loss. This type of hearing loss occurs when someone is experiencing the symptoms of hearing loss, particularly difficulty understanding in noisy environments, however has had a hearing test with normal hearing results.
This hidden type of hearing loss has baffled scientists in the past however there is new research suggesting that a decrease in synapses connecting hair cells with the neurons in the inner ear. Synapses are the junction or space between a nerve cell and another.
They suggest two possible causes for this occurrence. The first being loud noise exposure over time decreasing these synapses. The second is a possible relationship between diseases such as Guillain Barre Syndrome that reduce the myelin in the auditory nerve.
The reason those with hidden hearing loss would continue to have normal hearing tests is because the room where the hearing test is completed is quiet. This means fewer synapses are used during the test. Whereas, in a noisy environment, such as a crowded restaurant, more synapses are used and therefore make hearing and understanding everything more difficult.
Treatment Options
The primary treatment option for those with hearing loss is hearing aids, although some with profound hearing loss may be recommended to use cochlear implants. Unfortunately, there is no current treatment available for those with hidden hearing loss.
If you are experiencing any changes to your hearing, speak with an audiologist or hearing health provider today to take a hearing test and discuss possible treatment options.