Presbycusis overview
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Presbycusis overview On the Web |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Saumya Easaw, M.B.B.S.[2]
Overview
Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is the cumulative effect of aging on hearing. Also known as presbyacusis, it is defined as a progressive bilateral symmetrical age-related sensorineural hearing loss. The hearing loss is confined to higher frequencies.
Cultural Aspects
Recently, this condition has led to the development of technologies to stop younger people from loitering near British stores (The Mosquito), and the development of a cell phone ringtone, Teen Buzz, for students to use in school, that many older instructors are unable to hear. In September 2006 this technique was used to make a dance track called 'Buzzin'. The track had two melodies, one that everyone could hear and one that only younger people could hear.
Diagnosis
History and Symptoms
Hearing loss usually begins gradually after the age of sixty, and is usually found more often in men than women. This can be miscontributed to men having a greater exposure to environmental noise. However, exposure to environmental noise can lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), a hearing issue that is separate from presbycusis. Over time, the detection of high-pitched sounds becomes more difficult and both ears tend to be affected.
Physical Examination
The physical examination is usually normal with exception of cerumen which is a common problem in elderly people and a frequent cause of hearing loss and hearing aid malfunction.[1] The physical examination includes otoscopy, whispered ear test and tuning forks for the assessment of hearing loss. The physical examination of the outer ears is usually normal in presbycusis. The otoscopic examination is helpful for finding other potential causes of hearing loss such as cerumen impaction, tympanic membrane perforation, infection or tumors.
References
- ↑ Gates GA, Mills JH (2005). "Presbycusis". Lancet. 366 (9491): 1111–20. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67423-5. PMID 16182900.