Geriatric Hearing Loss

Geriatric Of our five senses, hearing is most commonly affected as we age. Hearing loss that is significant enough to interfere with social function affects 25% of persons age 65 to 74 and 50% of those age 75 and older. Not being able to hear or understand conversations limits a person’s use of the telephone, affects the ability to participate in social activities, and leads to a sense of isolation.

Geriatric hearing loss may be caused by a variety of problems, some of which are amenable to treatment. Presbycusis may be the most common cause of diminished hearing in the older population, but it should not be diagnosed until other potential causes of hearing loss have been ruled out.

The severity of a patient’s hearing loss is determined by audiometry. Although physicians can use a small screening audiometer or audioscope to determine which patients should be referred for an audiometry evaluation, it is probably best to refer a patient based on complaints about hearing, either from the patient or family members.

Hearing loss can be divided into four types, based on the components of the auditory system that are involved:

Analog or digital hearing aids are the treatment of choice for older patients with sensorineural hearing loss. They can be adjusted so that the amount of amplification varies depending on the frequency of the sound. Hearing aids can be precisely tailored to the individual’s pattern of hearing loss.

Digital and programmable hearing aids are particularly useful for individuals with steep, high-frequency hearing loss who have difficulty with conversational speech in the presence of a high level of background noise. Hearing aids can be placed completely in the canal (CIC), in the ear (ITE), or behind the ear (BTE).

An audiologist or hearing instrument specialist should be consulted for hearing aid evaluation and fitting. An individual who has bilateral hearing loss should be fitted with bilateral hearing aids. Bilateral aids (2 aids) allow improved discrimination, better sound localization, and greater perception of speech in noise.

Typical cost for a hearing aid ranges from $1,000 to $3,000 for each device. If a single hearing aid is the only feasible option, it should be fitted for the ear that has the least amount of hearing loss. This allows the patient to have close-to-normal restoration of hearing in at least one ear.

Hearing aids cannot return the user’s hearing ability to normal, but properly fitted hearing aids can improve the patient’s ability to understand conversational speech in the presence of background noise. To avoid disappointment,
patients must understand these limitations prior to purchasing a hearing aid and recognize that hearing aids should be judged not on their subjective appeal but on their ability to restore functional hearing. Individuals who lead quiet, sedentary lives with minimal workplace or social interaction are much less likely to find hearing aids useful than individuals who continue to work or have active social lives.

Many forms of hearing loss are treatable, and treatment can lead to significant improvements in productivity and quality of life. Although age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is common in older patients, the diagnosis should not be made until other possible causes have been ruled out. Once the type of hearing loss has been diagnosed, hearing aids can be used to improve hearing and social functioning. Hearinsg aid selection should be based upon the patient’s level of hearing loss, comfort with wearing the device, and ability to operate it. Call us at 1-800-880-4327 or click here to get in touch with us.