* HEARING LOSS Listen!
By age 65, 1 in 3 Americans will experience some impairment when perceiving sound
For many people, one of the more difficult-to- accept consequences of aging is the steady loss of hearing. It can be so gradual that you might not even notice it happening (although others may suspect there’s a problem). But ignoring or denying it doesn’t make it any
less real. According to the Hearing Loss As- sociation of America, by age 65, one in three Americans will experience some degree of hearing loss. After arthritis and heart dis- ease, hearing loss is the third most common physical condition caused by aging.
Causes & Types of Hearing Damage Other reasons for diminished hearing include exposure to loud noise, head trauma, viruses or diseases, tumors, hearing loss that runs in the family and malformations of the inner ear. Hearing loss can also occur due to earwax buildup, a ruptured eardrum or an object getting jammed into the ear. When hearing loss is related to aging, it’s due to changes occurring in the inner ear over time. This type of hearing loss, which is called presbycusis, is often slow but steady and may be mild or severe, but is always permanent. Other types of hearing loss include conductive hearing loss, which happens when there are problems in the ear canal, eardrum or middle ear and its bones, or sensorineural hearing loss, which occurs due to problems with the inner ear, also known as nerve-related hearing loss. Presbycusis belongs in this second category. Some people experience a mix of both conductive and senso- rineural hearing loss.
32 | MATTERS OF HEALTH
ISTOCK.COM
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