Presbycusis

Question 1

What is Presbycusis?

Answer 1

• Age- related hearing loss
• Type of sensorineural hearing loss
• It affects high-pitched sounds first and then moves on to lower- pitched sounds

Question 2

How would you describe Presbycusis hearing loss?

Answer 2

• The hearing loss is gradual and symmetrical

Question 3

What are the Risk Factors of Presbycusis?

Answer 3

• Age
• Male
• Family History
• Loud Noise Exposure
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Ototoxic Medications
• Smoking

Question 4

What are some of the Mechanisms of Hearing Loss?

Answer 4

• Loss of hair cells in the Cochlea
• Loss of Neurones in the Cochlea
• Atrophy of the stria vascularis (basal cells which are required to maintain the ion composure in the endolymph)
• Reduced endolymphatic potential

Question 5

How do Patients present with Presbycusis?

Answer 5

• Need for increased volume on the television or radio
• Speech becoming difficult to understand
• Difficulty using the telephone
• Loss of directionality of sound
• Worsening of symptoms in noisy environments
• Hyperacusis: Heightened sensitivity to certain frequencies
• Tinnitus

Question 6

What are the Signs of Presbycusis?

Answer 6

• Weber’s test localises to one side ( normal side)
• Rhinne’s test is normal
• Therefore the affected ear is the er which did not perform as well on the Weber’s test

Question 7

What investigations would you do for Presbycusis?

Answer 7

• Audiometry: Bilateral sensorineural pattern hearing loss- Otoscopy: To rule out otosclerosis, cholesteatoma and conductive hearing loss (foreign body, impacted wax)
• Tympanometry: Normal middle ear function with hearing loss
• Blood test including inflammatory markers and specific antibodies

Question 8

What is the managment for Presbycusis?

Answer 8

• Reducing the ambient noise in conversations
• Hearing Aids
• Cochlear implants