Mediterr. J. Otol 2007; 3:(3) 126-132
Hearing Loss and Communication Difficulty in the Elderly
Gunay Kirkim, Bulent Serbetcioglu, Onur Odabasi, Basak Mutlu.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hearing, Balance and Speech Division, Dokuz Eylul University Medical School, Izmir, Turkey, gunay.kirkim@deu.edu.tr
OBJECTIVE: To determine the communicative profile of middle-aged and elderly patients with a high-frequency hearing loss and to discuss the results of audiologic examination in defined age groups.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study consisted of 300 subjects aged 40 to 89 years with bilateral symmetric high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. All subjects underwent audiologic evaluations that included pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, acoustic immittance measuring, transient-evoked otoacoustic emission testing, and hearing-aid fittings. Conventional audiologic tools were used to evaluate the effects of aging on hearing.
RESULTS: The results obtained from the testing of different age groups in different decades were compared. Hearing thresholds for all octave frequencies of subjects in their seventh or eighth decade were more often statistically significant (P = 0) than were those in subjects in their fourth, fifth, or sixth decade. After audiologic evaluation, hearing-aid amplification was offered as a primary rehabilitation tool for all patients.
CONCLUSIONS: The study results show that geriatric hearing impairment usually begins during the seventh decade. The results of audiologic testing revealed hearing impairment in all subjects in their 70s. Hearing loss due to aging leads to considerable communication impairment that diminishes the quality of life for the elderly, their families, and their loved ones. Major rehabilitation tools for the aging population include properly fitted hearing aids and counseling for patients and their relatives. In this study, the importance of rehabilitation and social environmental counseling is emphasized.