Presbycusis facts for kids

Presbycusis is a type of hearing loss that happens as people get older. It's a natural part of aging. This kind of hearing loss happens slowly over time and usually can't be reversed.

Presbycusis is the most common type of hearing loss. It's also the second most common health issue for older people. About 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 experience it.

What Are the Signs of Presbycusis?

Since presbycusis happens slowly, many people don't notice it at first. They might think their hearing is still normal. However, there are clear signs that show hearing loss is happening:

• Sounds and speech start to become unclear.
• It becomes harder to understand what people are saying, especially children and women.
• You might need to turn up the volume on the TV, music, or radio.
• It's hard to focus on sounds when there's a lot of background noise.
• Some people might hear ringing or buzzing in their ears, which is called Tinnitus.

Communicating can become much harder for people with presbycusis. Even if sounds seem loud, they might not be clear. This is especially true for high-pitched sounds.

What Causes Presbycusis?

Unlike some other types of hearing loss, presbycusis is a normal part of getting older. It's not caused by loud noises or injuries.

Presbycusis usually happens because of problems in the inner ear or the hearing nerve. This can be due to damage or loss of tiny hair cells inside the inner ear. These hair cells help send sound signals to your brain.

Even though it's natural, some things can make presbycusis worse or make it start earlier. For example, being around very loud noises for a long time can damage your hearing. Some diseases can also affect your hearing.

How Can Presbycusis Be Managed?

While presbycusis can't be reversed, there are ways to manage it and make hearing easier.

• Preventing noise damage: Protecting your ears from very loud sounds can help prevent some types of hearing loss. You can use earplugs or avoid very noisy places.
• Using hearing aids: Many older people with presbycusis use hearing aids. Hearing aids don't just make sounds louder. They can also help separate important sounds, like speech, from background noise. This makes it much easier to hear and understand conversations.

See also

In Spanish: Presbiacusia para niños