Deafness and hearing loss: Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)

Someone could have hearing loss if they:

• often ask people to repeat themselves
• turn up the volume of the radio or television
• have difficulty following conversations in noisy places
• have difficulty in understanding what is said over the phone
• have difficulty in understanding group conversations
• have a ringing sensation in the ear (tinnitus)
• have problem in hearing sounds like doorbells, alarms or a telephone ringing
• tend to speak loudly.

You should get your hearing checked if you:

• often ask people to repeat themselves
• tend to raise the volume of the television to higher-than-normal levels
• regularly miss parts of conversations
• experience a ringing sensation in the ear (tinnitus)
• find people telling you that you are speaking loudly.
  

Age-related hearing loss cannot be reversed, as it is caused by degeneration of sensory cells, which occurs with age. However, it can be managed effectively by use of hearing aids and other communication devices.

Taking good care of your ears and following good ear and hearing practices such as:

• protecting your ears from loud sounds or noise
• never putting anything into your ears, other than medicines prescribed by a health worker
• seeking medical treatment in case of any ear problem such as pain or discharge
• eating healthy food and exercising well to avoid diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, that predispose to development of hearing loss
• avoiding cigarette smoking.

When you speak to a person with hearing loss, make sure that:

• you face them
• your face is neither covered nor in the dark
• you don't speak with your mouth full
• you speak in a loud, clear voice, but don't shout
• you are carefull with the word’s pronunciation
• you minimize the background noise (e.g., by turning off the television or radio)