Having trouble hearing is a common complaint among older adults. Unfortunately, hearing loss isn’t just inconvenient. It can lead to a significant drop in quality of life and increased risk of social isolation, which in turn may increase the risk of mental illness like depression or other conditions like dementia. It can also place people at significant risk of physical harm if they cannot hear warning sounds like car horns or smoke alarms.
Here is what you can do to support your loved one living with age-related hearing loss.
What are the Causes of Age-Related Hearing Loss?
Age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis, is incredibly common. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, roughly a third of older adults in the United States suffer from this type of hearing loss.
Common causes of, and risk factors for, hearing problems in older people include:
- Damage to auditory nerve pathways (sensorineural hearing loss)
- Blocked ear canals due to earwax buildup
- Physical trauma resulting in eardrum damage
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Diabetes
- Inner ear hair cell loss
- Inner ear abnormalities, like osteosclerosis
- Side effects of medications
- Family history of severe hearing loss
- Smoking
What are the Signs of Hearing Loss?
Signs of hearing loss include:
- Tinnitus, or a ringing in the ears
- Social withdrawal
- Trouble understanding others’ speech
- Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds
What are the Complications of Hearing Loss?
Hearing impairment and hearing loss can come with serious complications. These complications include:
- Drop in quality of life
- Increased risk of social isolation
- Increased risk of mental illness, such as depression and anxiety
- Enhanced risk of dementia
- Enhanced risk of physical harm due to not being able to hear warning alarms
- Increased difficulty understanding doctors’ orders
12 Tips to Communicate with Seniors Living with Hearing Impairment
Ways to help your loved one with age-related hearing loss include:
- Get him or her scheduled for a hearing test from a licensed healthcare provider, such as an audiologist or otolaryngologist.
- Help him or her get cochlear implants or over-the-ear hearing aids.
- Make use of assistive devices like speech-to-text technology on phones.
- Ensure he or she wears earplugs during sustained loud noise exposure to prevent further hearing loss.
- Help him or her find remedies for earwax buildup. Treatment options can include over-the-counter ear drops, prescription ear drops, or professional ear-cleaning treatments.
- Aid your loved one’s smoking cessation efforts, if applicable.
- Be supportive as your loved one seeks treatment for medical conditions that can affect hearing, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Speak to your loved one while fully facing him or her. Face-to-face communication allows for lip reading and seeing nonverbal cues.
- Practice active listening strategies, such as noticing body language, asking questions, making eye contact, and getting feedback. Active listening prioritizes engaging conversation dynamics and shows conversational partners that they have your full focus and attention.
- Reduce background noises during conversations, such as turning off the radio. Background noise reduction can make it easier for everyone to understand and communicate clearly.
- Speak loudly and clearly. This practice makes it easier for your hard-of-hearing loved one to understand you.
- Treat your loved one with respect. Getting frustrated with his or her inability to hear can cause embarrassment and friction.
Learning about age-related hearing loss can help you better understand the struggles your loved one faces. When your aging relative experiences hearing impairment, keep these 12 tips in mind to communicate with him or her better.
Disclaimers: This article is for informational purposes only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or medical condition. For advice and guidance on any health conditions and treatment options, please speak to a licensed healthcare professional.