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This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
Unfortunately, as people age, they face a greater risk of hearing loss. In some cases, hearing loss is sudden and due to an underlying disease or injury. However, most types of hearing loss occur slowly as a person ages. This type of hearing loss is referred to as presbycusis and is very common. Individuals need to be able to understand the signs of hearing loss and how to have their hearing tested.
Importance of Early Detection
Identifying hearing loss as soon as the first sign is noticed is very important for the treatment of the issue. Individuals should contact their primary care provider for any necessary hearing tests and other medical testing that may help identify the cause as soon as possible.
For those facing presbycusis, early identification can help individuals find a treatment to repair their hearing issues, such as hearing aids. These early treatments are vital, especially for elderly individuals, who may face risks of isolation and depression due to hearing loss. Untreated hearing loss has also been linked to dementia in older individuals.
Early Signs of Hearing Loss
Often, individuals do not realize they are having a hearing problem on their own. It may be other family members that first identify the problem. Unfortunately, hearing loss can come in many forms and it may only be certain pitches of sound that they have issues with. Other times, they may seem to hear clearly. For this reason, individuals and their family members should be aware of some of the early signs. These can include:
- Difficulties understanding speech over the phone.
- Difficulties understanding words in noisy environments.
- Asking others to repeat themselves often.
- Difficulties hearing letters of the alphabet other than vowels.
- Needing to turn the volume up on the television or radio.
- Thinking that people are mumbling.
- Unable to understand children or individuals with higher pitched voices.
- Tinnitus or ringing in the ears.
These and other hearing issues could be a sign of a significant problem. A hearing test is the best option for determining the cause and depth of the hearing loss.
Getting Hearing Tested
Although there are a variety of hearing test options available at home and online, these tests can only indicate that there may be a problem present. They cannot fully diagnose the type and depth of hearing loss. It is best to see a health care or hearing professional to have a thorough screening performed. This screening will help find the full level and possibly the cause of the hearing loss an individual may be facing.
Otoscopic Examination
Pure tone testing is performed by placing headphones on the patient. A series of tones in different frequencies will be played. Patients will then identify if they hear the tones and in which ear they heard it. In some cases, speech at various volumes may be played, often with changing levels of background noise. Reactions to this speech will then be recorded to determine hearing levels.
Pure Tone Testing
Pure tone testing is performed by placing headphones on the patient. A series of tones in different frequencies will be played. Patients will then identify if they hear the tones and in which ear they heard it. In some cases, speech at different volumes may be played, often with varying levels of background noise. Reactions to this speech will then be recorded to determine hearing levels.
Speech Test
After the pure tone testing, some individuals may receive a speech test. A list of words will be presented at a volume level determined by the previous testing to see if they can recognize and understand these words.
Other medical testing may be necessary to rule out health conditions during this testing. Upon completion, treatment options will be provided to the patient.
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