Do you struggle with age-related hearing loss? Presbycusis is a common ailment that affects many people as they get older. While this decline in hearing may be normal, most people should resolve it as soon as possible. Diminished hearing abilities can impact work, entertainment, and even time spent with friends or family.
To restore your quality of life, Happy Ears Hearing Center offers a variety of presbycusis treatment options. Find out more about the symptoms and causes of presbycusis and learn how Happy Ears can help improve your hearing.
What Is Presbycusis?
Presbycusis is a gradual decrease in hearing capabilities that occurs with age. This decline in hearing can begin as early as the mid-to-late 30s and continues to progress as years go on. Presbycusis is incredibly common, affecting one in three adults over the age of 65.
What Causes Presbycusis?
Age-related hearing loss may be attributed to several different factors. It is most often due to natural changes that occur within the following locations in your ear:
- Inner ear
- Middle ear
- Nerve pathways to the brain
As you age, these parts of the ear and surrounding structures can change due to the normal aging process.
Other factors can impact the anatomy of your ear and exacerbate hearing loss. These include:
- Genetics
- Certain health conditions (heart disease, diabetes)
- Prolonged or continuous exposure to loud noises
- Loss of hair cells
- Long-term use of certain medications (aspirin, antibiotics)
With these risk factors, you may develop presbycusis at an earlier age or experience more severe symptoms. The experts at Happy Ears Hearing Center can assess your risk factors and determine whether you are at an increased risk of developing age-related hearing loss.
Symptoms of Presbycusis
While you may think the symptoms of age-related hearing loss are a simple decrease in hearing, they can be more complex than that. The following are some of the symptoms you may experience, even in the earliest stages of presbycusis:
- Other people’s speech sounds like mumbling
- Men’s voices are easier to hear than women’s
- Certain sounds suddenly seem loud or irritating
- One or both ears has an ongoing ringing
- You cannot distinguish speaking from background noise
- You have trouble hearing high-pitched sounds
If you are experiencing any signs of presbycusis, please schedule a consultation with the team at Happy Ears Hearing Center. Our providers can evaluate your hearing and determine whether you are developing age-related hearing loss.
How to Prevent Age-Related Hearing Loss
You can do certain things to decrease your chances of developing presbycusis.
One precaution you can take is to avoid prolonged exposure to loud noises, such as music concerts and construction sites.
If you have known risk factors for age-related hearing loss, such as genetics, you may want to limit the use of certain medications that can contribute to hearing loss.
Patients with underlying conditions like heart disease or diabetes can focus on treating these conditions to decrease the risk of presbycusis.
Age-Related Hearing Loss Treatment
When a person is struggling with age-related hearing loss, there are several options for treatment. Happy Ears Hearing Center provides a number of beneficial treatments that can help restore your hearing after a presbycusis diagnosis. These include the following:
Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are removable devices worn inside the ear to amplify the sounds around you. Happy Ears Hearing Center offers a wide variety of hearing aid brands, including Lyric, Signia, Starkey, Rexton, Unitron, Phonak, Resound, and Widex.
Cochlear Implants
Cochlear implants are electronic medical devices that are implanted in the ear to replace the function of a damaged inner ear. They are an excellent option for patients who do not experience significant results from traditional hearing aids.
Get Tested Today
Presbycusis can have a serious impact on your quality of life. The best way to remedy age-related hearing loss is by getting a diagnosis and seeking treatment as soon as possible. The audiologists at Happy Ears Hearing Center can evaluate your hearing loss and get you started on the path to treatment.
Presbycusis Treatment at Happy Ears Hearing Center
Are you concerned that you may have presbycusis? The team of experts and audiologists at Happy Ears Hearing Center can help! We have offices located in Gilbert, Peoria, and Surprise, AZ. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to schedule a consultation appointment with one of our audiologists.