What is Presbycusis?

Age related hearing loss: Presbycusis

Presbycusis is the loss of hearing that gradually occurs in most of the adults as we grow older. It is one of the most common conditions affecting older and elderly adults.

Two senior men singing and playing guitar

A senior man with glasses and denim shirt

Presbycusis is the most common type of hearing loss (sensorineural), and it can be caused by a wide range of conditions but most commonly by the natural ageing process which accounts for around 90% of this type of hearing loss. It is an age-related type of hearing loss, and it affects 1 in 7 over the age of 65. Changes in your hearing as you get older are normal, if you’re concerned about your hearing, help and support from your local Amplifon clinic is never too far away.

People affected by this condition are not deaf as such. They continue to hear bass sounds, but high-pitched sounds are hard to distinguish. This is especially true for childish and feminine voices, whispers and some "whistling" consonants (S, Z, CH or V or F).

The symptoms of presbycusis

The first signs are when a person begins to feel uncomfortable with a conversation in a noisy environment such as a restaurant or at a family meal. It is then to the sound of the telephone or the television to appear too low. The condition can also be manifested by distorted sounds and misinterpreted words.

Some common symptoms that you can keep in mind when you think someone close may be suffering from this condition are:

Age: gradual deterioration in hearing across both ears in high pitched sounds
Traumatic exposure to loud noise: this may be from a sudden, very loud sound or repeated exposure to high-level sound. Hearing loss could be permanent or temporary
Head injury: This can cause trauma to the cochlea and nerves in the ear
Viral infections of the inner ear and auditory nerve
Some drug treatments
Family history

Consequences of presbycusis

This isn't a condition to be taken lightly. It can make daily life much more complicated, represent inconveniences, even obvious risks, but also be at the root of a decrease in the number and frequency of the social activities of the person.

A person suffering from presbycusis will also have more trouble distinguishing reverberant sounds and will complain more often about tinnitus.High-pitched sounds, such as"s" or "th" are quite hard to distinguish

Treatments for presbycusis

It is best to take action on your loss and consider hearing aids. This allows you to adapt more quickly and have a better listening comfort and on the other hand, to slow the progression of hearing loss and the maintenance of cognitive functions of the brain.

We at Amplifon offer a hearing test that guarantees that your hearing problems will be diagnosed by a hearing specialist. This is an important step you take to improve your hearing health. Also, At Amplifon you will a variety of types of hearing aids, designed using cutting edge hearing aid technologies, all available for you to start improving your standard of living.