This blog aims to illustrate the essential characteristics of presbycusis. Presbycusis is an inevitable disorder which affects a significant proportion of the elderly population. However, there are substantial treatments that can be utilized to correct the degenerative effects of presbycusis. This blog does not seek to address every immediate aspect associated with presbycusis, but in turn it is a fundamental tool that can be used to explore informative research on the subject.
After reading this blog the reader should grasp three concepts or learning objectives which are associated with presbycusis:
1. This blog will provide informative aspects about presbycusis in a manner that can be easily understood by the reader.
2. The reader will develop an indispensable knowledge about presbycusis that can later assist them in conducting further research on the subject.
3. The reader will gain a meaningful understanding of presbycusis that can be used to assist those who have the disorder or those who are in some way connected to one who has presbycusis.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Professional Journal Articles
Presbycusis:
Gates, G., Mills, J. (2005). Presbycusis. The Lancet, 366, 1111-1120.
This article gives a basic overview and description of presbycusis. It assesses what would happen if proper treatment isn't sought out for the patient. For example, depression or possibly even dementia. If the hearing loss is extremely severe, then the patient could be eligible for cochlear implants. The negative effects can be reversed once proper treatment has been administered by an Audiologist. I liked this article, because it provides a good, descriptive definition of presbycusis.
Does Snoring Contribute to Presbycusis:
Hoffstein, V., Haight, J., Cole, P., Zamel, N. (1999). Does Snoring Contribute to Presbycusis. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 159, 1351-1354.
This article assessed whether or not there is a direct correlation between snoring and presbycusis. There were 219 patients that were measured based on a snoring index, average nocturnal sound intensity, and maximum nocturnal sound intensity. Researchers found that snoring is not associated with hearing loss and doesn't cause presbycusis. I thought this was an interesting study that was conducted because it analyzed a less common aspect of presbycusis.
Gates, G., Mills, J. (2005). Presbycusis. The Lancet, 366, 1111-1120.
This article gives a basic overview and description of presbycusis. It assesses what would happen if proper treatment isn't sought out for the patient. For example, depression or possibly even dementia. If the hearing loss is extremely severe, then the patient could be eligible for cochlear implants. The negative effects can be reversed once proper treatment has been administered by an Audiologist. I liked this article, because it provides a good, descriptive definition of presbycusis.
Does Snoring Contribute to Presbycusis:
Hoffstein, V., Haight, J., Cole, P., Zamel, N. (1999). Does Snoring Contribute to Presbycusis. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 159, 1351-1354.
This article assessed whether or not there is a direct correlation between snoring and presbycusis. There were 219 patients that were measured based on a snoring index, average nocturnal sound intensity, and maximum nocturnal sound intensity. Researchers found that snoring is not associated with hearing loss and doesn't cause presbycusis. I thought this was an interesting study that was conducted because it analyzed a less common aspect of presbycusis.
Professional Website Links
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders:
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/presbycusis.asp
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website gives a depiction of what presbycusis is and how it progresses. It describes those who are affected in the population and also references the prevalence. The NIDCD website also indicates that symptoms include difficulty hearing higher pitched sounds, difficulty holding conversations, especially with background noise, and tinnitus or ringing in the ears. Typical treatments advised are hearing aids as well as assistive listening devices. This website was very helpful while doing my research. It contains a large amount of educational information and is also very easy to understand.
American Hearing Research Foundation:
http://www.american-hearing.org/frisinapresby.html
The American Hearing website focused on the biomedical aspects of presbycusis. It assesses whether or not presbycusis is an inherited trait or simply inevitable. Also research was done to see if there's a direct link between presbycusis hearing loss and diabetes. Other research was done to see if hormones affected age related hearing loss. The American Hearing website was also very helpful, because it provided information about other aspects of presbycusis. I liked this website because it references studies and research that have been conducted in relation to presbycusis.
University of Virginia Health Systems:
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/adult_ent/presby.cfm
This website gave a basic description of the causes, symptoms, and treatment of presbycusis. Some of the treatments suggested were preventive measures such as avoiding loud noises, and wearing ear plugs. The University of Virginia Health Systems website also stated that treatment procedures are based on age, health, tolerance, etc. I liked the way in which this website outlined all the information and didn't incorporate unrelated information about presbycusis. However, there could have been more descriptive details about the specific causes of presbycusis.
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/presbycusis.asp
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website gives a depiction of what presbycusis is and how it progresses. It describes those who are affected in the population and also references the prevalence. The NIDCD website also indicates that symptoms include difficulty hearing higher pitched sounds, difficulty holding conversations, especially with background noise, and tinnitus or ringing in the ears. Typical treatments advised are hearing aids as well as assistive listening devices. This website was very helpful while doing my research. It contains a large amount of educational information and is also very easy to understand.
American Hearing Research Foundation:
http://www.american-hearing.org/frisinapresby.html
The American Hearing website focused on the biomedical aspects of presbycusis. It assesses whether or not presbycusis is an inherited trait or simply inevitable. Also research was done to see if there's a direct link between presbycusis hearing loss and diabetes. Other research was done to see if hormones affected age related hearing loss. The American Hearing website was also very helpful, because it provided information about other aspects of presbycusis. I liked this website because it references studies and research that have been conducted in relation to presbycusis.
University of Virginia Health Systems:
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/adult_ent/presby.cfm
This website gave a basic description of the causes, symptoms, and treatment of presbycusis. Some of the treatments suggested were preventive measures such as avoiding loud noises, and wearing ear plugs. The University of Virginia Health Systems website also stated that treatment procedures are based on age, health, tolerance, etc. I liked the way in which this website outlined all the information and didn't incorporate unrelated information about presbycusis. However, there could have been more descriptive details about the specific causes of presbycusis.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Communicating With A Person Who Has Presbycusis
*Face the person, so they can read your lips if they need to
*Make sure adequate lighting is in front of you to help them observe facial expressions, gestures, & body movement
*Turn off the television and radio, and minimize other loud disturbances
*Don't speak with food or gum in your mouth or cover your mouth with your hands
*Speak slightly louder, but not shouting or yelling
*Inform the person of the conversation topic beforehand
*Rephrase your statements in shorter, simpler sentences if they're not understanding
*In social gatherings, choose seating and conversation areas away from crowded and noisy areas
Treatment
~Reduce the amount of time exposed to everyday noises
~Wear ear plugs or a special type of ear muffs
~Hearing Aids (most older people find these to be the most beneficial to maximize hearing and better understand speech)
~Assistive listening devices such as a built in telephone amplifier
~FM system that makes sounds clearer by delivering sound waves like a radio
~Speech reading, using visual cues to understand what's being said
~Wear ear plugs or a special type of ear muffs
~Hearing Aids (most older people find these to be the most beneficial to maximize hearing and better understand speech)
~Assistive listening devices such as a built in telephone amplifier
~FM system that makes sounds clearer by delivering sound waves like a radio
~Speech reading, using visual cues to understand what's being said
Diagnosis
*In order to determine the best method of treatment, the individual should meet with an Audiologist to be evaluated and diagnosed with hearing problems or disorders
*Audiologists should conduct a thorough evaluation and determine which type of treatment will be the most helpful
*The Audiologist will then counsel the patient and advise them on the best treatment to improve their listening situations
Causes
~Presbycusis is typically a sensorineural hearing disorder caused by changes in the inner ear associated with aging
~Changes in the middle ear and along the nerve pathways which lead to the brain
~Continuous exposure to daily traffic sounds, construction work, noisy offices, loud equipment, and loud music
~Changes in blood supply to the ear because of heart disease, vascular (blood vessel) conditions associated with diabetes, and circulatory problems
~Could be a conductive hearing loss disorder where loss of sound sensitivity is caused by abnormalities of the outer and middle ear including reduced function of the tympanic membrane, and the malleus, incus, and stapes in the middle ear that carry sound waves from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear
~Changes in the middle ear and along the nerve pathways which lead to the brain
~Continuous exposure to daily traffic sounds, construction work, noisy offices, loud equipment, and loud music
~Changes in blood supply to the ear because of heart disease, vascular (blood vessel) conditions associated with diabetes, and circulatory problems
~Could be a conductive hearing loss disorder where loss of sound sensitivity is caused by abnormalities of the outer and middle ear including reduced function of the tympanic membrane, and the malleus, incus, and stapes in the middle ear that carry sound waves from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear
Symptoms
* Sounds begin to seem less clear and decrease in volume
*Difficulty hearing and understanding speech
*Speech sounds mumbled or slurred
*High pitch sounds such as "s" and "th" are hard to hear and tell apart
*Trouble holding conversations, especially with background noise
*A man's voice is easier to hear than a woman's
*Possible tinnitus, ringing in the ears
Monday, September 7, 2009
Characteristics
Presbycusis is characterized as having difficulty hearing high pitched sounds such as birds chirping or a telephone ringing. However, it is much easier to hear lower pitched sounds such as a loud truck driving down the street.
Four Types:
*Sensory- Loss of sensory elements in the basal end of the cochlea
*Neural- Loss of cochlear neurons
*Striatal- Loss of stria vascularis as aging occurs
*Cochlear Conductive- Thickening of the basilar membrane caused by deposition of basophilic substances.
What is Presbycusis?
Presbycusis is the age related hearing loss or the effect of aging on one's hearing. It especially affects the ability to hear high frequency sounds and is a gradual process where both ears are affected equally.
Prevalence:
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 30 - 35 % of adults between ages 65 - 75 have hearing loss and 40 - 50 % of adults age 75 and up have hearing loss.
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