Are you hard of hearing as you age? Here are 6 tips to prevent presbyopia

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What factors can cause presbycusis?

Gao Zhiqiang, Director of the Department of Otolaryngology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital: Presbycusis refers to hearing loss caused by the gradual decline of hearing function with age. Studies have shown that the incidence of presbycusis in the elderly is as high as 30% to 60%, and the number of patients is increasing year by year. Due to the large number of patients, the high incidence rate, and the fact that many elderly people ignore the harm of hearing loss and let it develop, a series of adverse consequences have occurred.

The causes of deafness in the elderly, in addition to the natural aging of the auditory system, are also related to the following factors: genetic factors (which make the auditory system vulnerable to damage), atherosclerosis (which causes blockage of the cochlear arterioles), excessive intake of saturated fatty acids (which aggravates atherosclerosis), diabetes (which causes hyperplasia of the cochlear vascular endothelium and reduces blood supply), smoking (which aggravates atherosclerosis), noise, and ototoxic drugs.

Seven ways to self-diagnose presbycusis

Gao Zhiqiang, director of the Department of Otolaryngology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital: 1. Missing some words when watching TV at normal volume; 2. Inability to hear birds singing; 3. Often interrupting or asking the other party to repeat themselves during face-to-face communication; 4. Having difficulty joining in a conversation in a crowded and noisy restaurant; 5. Unconsciously raising the volume of speech regardless of the location; 6. Phone calls are not smooth, and the other party is often asked to raise the volume; 7. Symptoms of tinnitus, insomnia, and dizziness occur.

If the elderly experience the above symptoms, they may have hearing loss and should go to the hospital for professional testing and treatment in time.

Six ways to prevent presbycusis

Zhang Qiuying, attending physician of the Department of Otolaryngology at Beijing Hospital, and Xu Jin, chief physician: The auditory nerve of the human body is like a telephone line, with many fibers inside and a layer of myelin wrapped around it. With age, the myelin sheath will be damaged or lost, which will affect the function of the auditory nerve and cause hearing loss. As a result, the elderly often interrupt when talking, often only hearing the voice but not understanding the meaning. These are the biggest characteristics of presbycusis. The ability of deaf elderly people to understand language will also decline, and they always ask the other party to repeat, which seriously affects communication. If the sound is small, it can't be heard, and if the sound is loud, it's noisy. This is because presbycusis is neurological, and the tolerance threshold for sound changes. Some elderly people are overly sensitive to individual sounds, feel uncomfortable when listening, and like to stay in a quiet environment. Because they are afraid of being laughed at and causing trouble to others, deaf elderly people often avoid communication, close themselves off, become lonely or irritable, and are prone to Alzheimer's disease.

Although aging is a natural law, the onset age and progression rate of presbycusis vary from person to person. Many centenarians are still able to hear and see clearly. So, how can we prevent or delay the occurrence of presbycusis? First of all, we should avoid noise stimulation, listen to headphones and lower the volume when watching TV; actively prevent and treat chronic diseases such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia; use ototoxic drugs with caution; control the intake of animal fat and offal, eat more foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E, which help to remove pathogenic free radicals; quit smoking and drinking; if hearing loss is found, go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

What should I do if I suffer from presbycusis?

Wang Jing, deputy chief physician of the Department of Otolaryngology, Affiliated Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University: For people who have already suffered from presbycusis, how can we prevent the disease from further developing? In fact, presbycusis, like any kind of sensorineural hearing loss, is difficult to treat if it lasts for more than 2 months. Therefore, it is recommended that you seek medical attention in time when you find hearing loss. The doctor will provide reasonable advice and treatment methods based on the condition. Generally, some drugs that improve microcirculation and drugs that nourish the nervous system will be used. These drugs must be taken regularly for 2-3 months before the condition can improve.

Elderly people with more serious conditions need to wear hearing aids. However, it should be noted that due to the particularity of presbycusis and the inevitability of nervous system degeneration in the elderly, hearing aids will not achieve good results for those with very serious conditions. In foreign countries, elderly people with presbycusis improve their hearing by installing electronic cochlear implants (cochlear implants). (People's Health Network, compiled from Life Times)