How Age Affects Hearing

The snail like shape of the cochlear effectively boosts the strength of the vibrations caused by sound, especially for low pitches. When sound waves hit the ear drum, tiny bones in the ear transmit the vibrations to the fluid of the cochlea, where they travel along a tube that winds into a spiral. The tube’s properties gradually change along its length, so the waves grow and then die away, much as an ocean wave travelling towards the shore gets taller and narrower before breaking at the beach.

The condition Colin is likely to be suffering from is Presbycusis. Presbycusis is an age-related hearing loss, it is a hearing disorder that can be caused by a variety of different factors. It is usually a sensorineural hearing disorder but can be a conductive hearing loss. A conductive hearing loss is when it is caused by problems with the ear canal, ear drum, middle ear and the malleus, uncus and stapes this can result in reduced function of the tympanic membrane or reduced function of auditory ossicles. Most commonly it is as a result of changes within the inner ear, middle ear or the nerve pathways to the brain. The cochlea is lined with tiny hair cells; these hairs convert sound vibrations into electrical signals which are received at the brain by a nerve. These cells can become damaged over time this means electrical signals cannot be transmitted as effectively so hearing becomes affected. Long-term exposure to loud noises such as that from traffic and loud equipment which Colin would have been exposed to working as a mechanic can also be a cause of

There are hundreds of thousands of older people who sadly experience the difficulty of not being able to hear high pitched sounds. This can normally happen because of the sensitivity with the nerve cells in which can possibly result in hearing loss. Some of the older generation can start to experience an unwanted build-up of ear wax which can be quite painful and could eventually block the transmission of sound from getting to them.

The sound of your parents voice, hearing your favorite song playing on the radio, even knowing the sound of your own voice, these are just a few sounds that sadly many of us take for granted, and unfortunately many will never get to experience. Hearing loss affects about 10% of the Global population, with 124.2 million people affected from a moderate level to a severe disability. (WHO 2008)

This happens in two ways: listening at too high of a volume, or listening for too long. Studies have confirmed the obvious fact that “the louder the noise and the longer you’re hearing it, the greater the risk of hearing loss” (Siegel). This study concluded that an increasing amount of teens are suffering hearing loss and “wearing earbuds to listen to music may be to blame” (Siegel). The knowledge of loud sounds hurting the ear is well known, but not as many people are aware of the problems caused by listening to music for an extended amount of time. “Constant low-level noise might cause hearing problems, a new study in rats finds” (Cheung). Even music at a low level can damage a listener’s hearing if heard for an extended period of time, but what can losing some hearing really do to a

The ear is made up of three parts, the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The ability to hear is dependent on these three parts of the ear working together, and a problem with any part can cause hearing loss (heaing loss education centre, 2012). The inner ear consists of the cochlea, the auditory hearing nerve and the brain. These are the organs of hearing and balance and convert sound waves into nerve signals. These signals are sent to the brain using a nerve called the vestibulocochlear nerve. Nerve deafness occurs if there is damage to the inner ear and although it is possible to regain some hearing through the help of a hearing device, nerve deafness is often permanent. (deaf websites, 2013)

Hearing loss continues to linger in the elderly population of today’s society. Yet, the onset of hearing loss can occur at any age and at any point in

There are four main types of hearing loss: auditory processing, conductive, sensorineural, and mixed. In auditory processing hearing loss, the brain has difficulty processing the information it receives from the inner ear. Conductive hearing loss occurs when the Outer or Middle ear are subjected to damage. A number of factors can yield conductive hearing loss; including problems as simple as an excess of ear wax to problems as complex as otosclerosis, which is abnormal bone growth in the ossicles. Sensorineural hearing loss typically occurs when the cochlea and/or nerve endings are damaged. Unlike conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss is almost always permanent. Over-exposure to a loud environment, or even old age, are the most common factors that lead to sensorineural hearing loss.

Neural presbycusis affects hearing all frequencies of pure tones. The hearing loss associated with this type of presbycusis increases as the frequency of the sound increases. Speech discrimination is approximately 60% accurate. Neural presbycusis is degeneration of the spiral ganglion and the loss of auditory neurons throughout the cochlea and auditory pathways. Neural presbycusis is not evident until the number of normally functioning neurons fall below a critical minimum. The impact of this type of presbycusis varies in age of onset and severity. It is also thought to be simultaneous with phonemic regression. Phonemic regression occurs

Hearing loss is one of the most common ailments faced by American seniors. In fact, nearly 36 million seniors have at least some hearing loss, with the majority of those individuals being more than 65 years of age. On the surface, the consequences of hearing loss may seem to be about the loss of a physical sense. In reality, the actual loss of hearing is the least of a senior's concerns.

However, one ear hears sounds at a different timing or pitch than the other ear.

A study published in 2013 by Johns Hopkins University followed nearly 2,000 people with an average age of 77. Researchers found that people who had deafness that interfered with normal conservations were 24 percent more likely to have diminished cognitive functions. This particular study followed participants for six years. The basic conclusion was that hearing loss, especially in older adults, may speed up dementia and the decline of the brain.

The ears are one of the most complex and interesting systems thats human body has and the sounds we hear are actually in many different parts deflected, absorbed, and also filtered by our different body parts. It's then collected by our pinnae (the external part of or ears), whose dimensions further affect the sound on its way into ear. There, vibrations are translated into signals, which are interpreted by your brain. In the 1930s, two scientists at Bell Labs, Harvey Fletcher and Wilden A. Munson researched this process and what they discovered has changed and affected how we as humans understand the hearing process.

The ear is an extraordinary human organ that many people take for granted until it doesn’t function. It is the only device that allows the human to hear sounds in their environment. The ear is made up of many parts that distinguish various sounds through different means. The ear anatomy and physiology along with how sound waves are transmitted into meaningful sounds will help one understand how hearing loss occurs.

Younger people can develop hearing loss as well. Fourteen percent of people between the ages of 45 and 65, and another 8 million people between 18 and 44, suffer from some form of hearing impairment. A