Deafness in old age increases risk of Alzheimer's

□ Yu Ziyue, intern reporter of Popular Science Times

It is common for older people to become hard of hearing in daily life. Medically, this phenomenon is called age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis.

"The incidence of presbycusis in our country is relatively high, about 40%-50%." Yi Haijin, chief physician of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital, told Science Times.

Why does "hard of hearing" occur? Yi Haijin said that as people age, their auditory organs degenerate, causing hearing loss. "Hard of hearing" is also related to atherosclerosis. Clinical research results show that people who control the "three highs" well will have a lower probability of getting sick and the symptoms will be relatively mild. In addition, genetic factors are also one of the causes of "hard of hearing". Generally speaking, people with a family history of presbycusis have a higher probability of getting sick.

Many people believe that it is normal to become hard of hearing as you age and there is no need for intervention. Yi Haijin said this is not the case. Presbycusis can lead to social and emotional disorders, and even lead to traffic accidents and other personal safety-threatening events due to hearing loss, increasing the mortality rate of the patient group. Other studies have shown that presbycusis increases the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

"We should strengthen prevention of presbycusis." Yi Haijin suggested that the elderly should start by controlling the "three highs" and cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis. At the same time, they should stay away from noisy environments and try to avoid using ototoxic drugs. For those who are already ill, it is necessary to wear hearing aids in time. Severely deaf people can also restore their hearing by implanting cochlear implants.