There are a variety of alterations to bodily functioning that are inevitable over time. One such alteration could be a decline in hearing ability.

It’s estimated that 35% of people aged 65 and up experience some degree of hearing loss. One in two people over the age of 65 suffer from hearing loss.

Hearing loss as a result of ageing is often perceived as a non-urgent medical condition but increasingly new research suggests that hearing loss is a high risk-factor in cognitive and memory decline in elderly population, it also affects one’s quality of life and makes listening effortful and strained and therefore it is important to have the hearing assessed in detail and undertake appropriate action as advised by the audiologist. 

Lack of sensitivity to high-frequency sounds is often the first sign of age-related hearing loss. For this reason, often the voices of women and children may seem to be more difficult than deep male voices. The difficulties in hearing are often more pronounced when there is presence of any background or interfering noise and also when the speaker is not directly facing the listener. 

Symptoms of hearing loss often may include:

1 Difficulty hearing in noisy environment 

2 Some sounds seeming overly loud or intolerable

3 Inability to distinguish beginning and ending of sentences.

4 Ringing sensation in the ears.

5 Watching television at louder than normal volume.

6 Asking people to repeat often.

7 Inability to understand conversations over the telephone.

If you experience any of these, you may have hearing loss. It is important to have it evaluated professionally by an audiologist so that you can establish if your hearing requires any further action.

Age-related hearing loss generally cannot be reversed medically. This is because the physiological changes occur at the level of tiny hair cells in the inner ear which experience permanent damage. Audiologists are specialised to treat permanent hearing loss with appropriate hearing solutions which may include use of hearing devices or assistive listening devices and counselling on strategies to deal with the effects of a permanent hearing loss. Audiologists at Vital Hearing will work with you to enhance your hearing and quality of life if you are diagnosed with a significant hearing loss.