Causes of Age-Related Hearing Loss

Established to bring dental care to patients in nursing homes, Visiting Ancillary Services now offers audiology care. Visiting Ancillary Services uses advanced diagnostic techniques to assess hearing loss in older adults.

Nearly 50 percent of adults over the age of 75 experience hearing loss to some degree. This is largely due to damage or death of the tiny hair cells inside the inner ear that are responsible for sensing sound waves and translating them into nerve signals that the brain can understand.

Aging also causes some changes in the flow of blood to the structures of the ears, just as the brain processes signals of sound and speech differently as a person ages. Any additional damage, either to the structure of the ear or to the neurological process of hearing, can contribute to the degree of hearing loss.

Individuals who have repeated exposure to loud noises, for example, are at a higher risk of age-related hearing loss. People with diabetes or circulatory problems also have an increased risk, as do those who smoke or use certain medications. A family history of hearing loss may be a contributing factor as well.