M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 6
Age-Related Hearing Problems
Disrupt Normal Activity
Gradual onset commonly caused by
changes in inner ear
by Jean Jeffers, Staff Writer
Hearing-related disorders occur
more frequently as people age.
Age-related hearing loss is the
most common condition affecting
seniors. Having trouble hearing can
disrupt normal activity. The ability
to hear a phone, a doorbell or a
smoke alarm is important but being hard of hearing may impede it.
Age-related hearing loss has a
gradual onset. It usually occurs in
both ears. Most commonly, it arises from changes in the inner ear
as people age or because of some
anomaly along the nerve pathways
from the ear to the brain. Conditions frequently present in older
adults, such as high blood pressure
or diabetes, may contribute to
hearing loss. Medications also
could play a part.
Other hearing problems include
tinnitus, which is a ringing or hissing in one or both ears. This condition is often due to a tumor on
a nerve, an obstruction in the ear
canal, temporomandibular joint
dysfunction or sinus pressure.
Another hearing-related problem
is otosclerosis. This occurs when
abnormal bone remodels in the
middle ear. It is a lifelong process
in which the bone tissue renews
itself by replacing old tissue with
new tissue. Because it is abnormal, it disrupts sound’s ability to
travel from the middle ear to the
inner ear. It most often occurs
when one of the bones of the
middle ear becomes stuck in one
place. This could be the result of
an ear infection, stress fractures or
an immune disorder, but its cause
is basically unclear. Hearing loss
is the most frequent
symptom of otosclerosis. This loss
may appear very
gradually. Some
people
5
have dizziness, balance problems
or tinnitus. Mild otosclerosis can
be treated with a hearing aid but
surgery is often required.
Another hearing-related condition is a balance disorder. This
makes the individual feel unsteady
or dizzy. The person may feel as if
he is moving, spinning or floating.
It is believed that more than four
out of 10 Americans will experience an episode of dizziness bad
enough to make them seek medical help.
Balance disorders can be caused
by certain health conditions,
medications or a problem with
the inner ear or the brain. This
condition can disrupt everyday
activities, causing hardship and
alarm. Symptoms include dizziness, falling, feeling as
if you are going to fall,
lightheadedness,
blurred vision and
confusion. There are
more than a dozen
different balance
disorders. These include benign
paroxysmal positional vertigo
(BPPV), labyrinthitis, Meniere’s
disease and vestibular neuritis.
Balance problems are initially
treated by determining if another
health condition or a medication
is to blame. Next, the doctor may
recommend a series of movements to help dislodge the otoconia from the semicircular canals.
If the patient is diagnosed with
Meniere’s disease, recommendations may include changes to diet,
stopping smoking and the use of
anti-nausea medication. Sometimes antibiotics and corticosteroids are used. People with this
disease need to take care while
performing everyday activities
such as driving, walking up and
down stairs and exercising.
Help is available through
an otolaryngologist, an
audiologist or a hearing-aid
specialist.
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR:
Jean Jeffers is an
RN with an MSN
from the University of Cincinnati. She is also
a staff writer for
Health and Wellness magazine.
Age-related
hearing loss is the
most common
condition affecting
seniors.
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