Age-related hearing loss

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Ear anatomy

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Age-related hearing loss

Alternative Names:

Hearing loss - age related; Presbycusis

Treatment:

There is no known cure for age-related hearing loss. Treatment is focused on functional improvement. Hearing aids, which provide amplification, may help. Developing skills such as lip reading and using visual cues may aid communication, but these may be difficult skills for older people to learn.

Expectations (prognosis):

Age-related hearing loss is progressive. The disorder is not dangerous but leads to increasing difficulty with communication.

Complications:

Deafness is a complication. Deafness-related complications include social isolation and the inability to hear fire alarms.

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if hearing loss occurs or worsens.

Review Date: 10/26/2004
Reviewed By: Michael Langan, M.D., Department of Geriatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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