subject: Can My Condition Be Improved With A Hearing Aid? [print this page] If you're over 65 years old and just can't seem to hear everything as clearly as you used to, you may be suffering from presbycusis. This medical term refers to gradual hearing loss. While presbycusis can't be reversed, your doctor may recommend a hearing aid to improve your ear function.
There are two primary reasons for this type of loss. The first is heredity. If your mother or father lost their ability to hear as they grew older, you may very well experience the same problem. The second is chronic exposure to loud noises. Loud noises take a toll on the nerve endings within the inner ear, causing irreparable damage.
If your decreased ability to hear is a source of frustration in your life or the reason that you avoid social gatherings with your family and friends, talk to your doctor! This professional can determine if you are suffering from presbycusis. Even though this condition probably can't be reversed, a hearing aid can greatly improve your ability to interact with family and friends.
Before you meet with your doctor, it's important to think about your current symptoms, as well as situations during your life that may have them. Take a notepad and write down the following information:
List all of the recent and past problems you have been having - Think about the symptoms that you've been experiencing and try to remember when they began. Talk with your close friends and family members. They may have noticed behavioral changes that you've never thought about.
Think about your medical history, especially in relation to your ears - Have you had chronic ear infections in your past? What about possible injury to your ears or surgeries that could have affected them? You should also list medications, vitamins, and other supplements that you are taking.
Write down your work history - You'll want to include any jobs (even as far back as high school) that could have affected your ears. Jobs that exposed you to high noise levels are especially important to note.
Finally, write down questions to ask your doctor during the appointment - Thinking about questions ahead of time will help you gather all the information you can about your condition. Some basic questions may include the cause of your hearing loss, tests that can be done, the possibility of other conditions which could be causing your symptoms, and if a hearing aid can help.
It's a good idea to take a family member or friend along to your appointment. The doctor will have a great deal of information for you to absorb. It helps to have another individual who can help you remember the information, as well as ask questions.
