Did you know that 33% of people over the age of 65 experience hearing loss? The severity of this depends on the specific conditions they are experiencing. Overall, hearing loss can have a profound effect on one?s ability to successfully function. For someone who has experienced profound hearing loss, the lifetime costs are estimated to be as much as $1 million for an individual.
You?d be surprised at how easy it is to sustain permanent hearing damage. Simply being exposed to a noisy subway, for example, can lead to hearing loss even if it?s just for 15 minutes each day (over a continuous period of time, of course). Hearing protection is important!
Tinnitus: Very Common
Tinnitus is one example of a commonly experienced affliction. An estimated 25 million American adults have experienced it at one point or another, and tinnitus is experienced as ringing ears or buzzing sensation in the ear.
It?s fair to say that tinnitus itself isn?t actually a condition. Instead, it?s a sign of an underlying issue. In most cases, the issue is an ear injury, age-related hearing loss, or a circulatory system disorder. It?s not necessarily a sign of something medically dangerous, but it can be treated all the same.
Tinnitus Hearing Tests
There are tinnitus hearing tests available. Your doctor may give you a hearing test, in which you will be asked to listen to various sounds and your results will be compared to the typical results for someone your age. Depending on why doctors believe you are experiencing tinnitus, you may be given a movement test or an imaging test (such as a CT or MRI scan).
How can you treat tinnitus? It depends on, again, the underlying causes. Earwax removal of impacted wax can help some people. Others may be helped by switching a prescribed medication. Sometimes, tinnitus is a symptom of a blood vessel condition, in which case surgery will possibly have the side effect of curing tinnitus. Other patients may be assisted best by external remedies, such as hearing aids, masking devices and white noise machines. Certain medications can also be used to treat severe tinnitus.
Tinnitus can occur unexpectedly to people who have previously never experienced hearing problems. If you are having trouble hearing or experiencing a ringing in your ears, your best bet is to consult your doctor to see whether testing for tinnitus might make sense.
