Presbycusis
From WikiLectures
thumb|right|300px|In the ear hearing aid – ITE thumb|right|300px|Behind the ear hearing aid – BTE Presbycusis is caused by the aging of the inner ear. It's the most common hearing impairment in the population.
Etiopathogenesis[edit | edit source]
Essentially it is the physiological aging of the auditory system as a whole. The process of aging is very individual and also depends on external factors (exposure to noise, toxins and other factors during life).
Symptoms and diagnosis[edit | edit source]
- hypacusis – symmetrical perceptional disorder of higher tones (basocochlear), however, over time it spreads to lower frequencies, most significant is the involvement of 1-3 kHz (speech);
- tinnitus – may or may not be present, it's not a constant sign;
- there is a decrease in the ability of auditory analysis (especially comprehension of speech);
- on a verbal audiogram the result is usually worse than on a tonal → impairment of higher levels in the auditory pathways.
Therapy[edit | edit source]
Causal therapy doesn't exist. Hearing aid rehabilitation is used as symptomatic therapy.
