Hearing in the Elderly

Original Editor - Wendy Walker

Top Contributors - Wendy Walker, Kim Jackson, Scott Buxton, Tony Lowe, WikiSysop, Lucinda hampton and Kirenga Bamurange Liliane  

Introduction

The sense of hearing is of paramount importance in spoken communication, and age-related hearing loss can lead to porblems with communication, decreased awareness of environmental clues and even social isolation.

Histologic changes associated with aging occur throughout the auditory system from the hair cells of the cochlea to the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe of the brain.

The international incidence of impaired hearing in the elderly varies among societies, but most of the world's population experiences some degree of decline in hearing with advancing age.

In the USA approximately 25-30% of people aged 65-74 years are estimated to have impaired hearing. For people aged 75 years and older, this incidence is thought to rise to 40-50%

References

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