Presbycusis also known as hearing loss is a gradual process that is characterized by the inability to hear, especially high frequency sounds and also the effect of aging on hearing. It often occurs in both ears, but not
necessarily at the same interval or pace.
PRESBYCUSIS DEFINITION
Presbycusis may also be referred to as a complex condition in which people who suffer from it may not notice that their hearing is declining because of the gradual loss of hearing. As a result, they may experience trouble differentiating conversation and understanding a noisy environment e.g. exposures to noises from industrial machinery's, very loud speakers and other power tools, all these contributes greatly to Presbycusis. Research have also shown that half of presbycusis is genetically related.
Generally Presbycusis origin lies with the combination of
- Individual such as age, genetics etc.
- Environmental Factors such as exposure to noise
Also from physio-pathological point of view, it is also characterized by deterioration of
the organ of Corti (sensory presbycusis), and/or the spiral ganglion
(neural presbycusis), and/or the stria vascularis (metabolic
presbycusis).
PRESBYCUSIS CAUSES
Presbycusis (hearing loss) can be caused by factors such as
- Heredity: Early aging of the cochlea and susceptibility of the cochlea for drug insults are genetically determined.
- Atherosclerosis: Which may diminish vascularity of the cochlea, thereby reducing its oxygen supply.
- Dietary habits: The increased intake of saturated fat may speed up atherosclerotic changes in old age.
- Diabetes: This may cause vasculitis and endothelial proliferation in the blood vessels of the cochlea, thereby reducing its blood supply.
- Noise trauma: Exposure to loud noise/music speakers on a continuing basis stresses the already hypoxic cochlea, hastening the presbycusis.
- Smoking: Is postulated to accentuate atherosclerotic changes in blood vessels aggravating presbycusis.
- Hypertension: This causes potent vascular changes, like reduction in blood supply to the cochlea, thereby aggravating presbycusis.
- Ototoxic drugs: Ingestion of ototoxic drugs like aspirin may hasten the process of presbycusis.
PRESBYCUSIS TREATMENT
Presbycusis can be treated with devices like hearing aids and cochlear implants which
already help improve hearing of many elderly. Several treatments for presbycusis are in development.
Included in these are:-
- water-soluble coenzyme Q10 formulation,
- fetal thymus grafting,
- and the prescription drug Tanakan.
In a study performed in 2010, it was found that the water-soluble formulation of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
caused a significant improvement in liminar tonal audiometry of the air
and bone thresholds at 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz, and 8000 Hz. It is likely that a larger clinical trial will be performed in order to gain more supporting evidence for the effects of CoQ10
in averting the development of hearing loss for people suffering from
presbycusis.
A fetal thymus graft, or rejuvenation of the recipient
immunity by inoculation of young CD4+ T cells, also prevents presbycusis as well as up-regulation of the interleukin 1 receptor type II gene (IL1R2) in CD4+ T cells and degeneration of the spiral ganglion in Samp1 mice, a murine model of human senescence.
The effects of the pharmaceutical drug Tanakan were observed when treating tympanophonia in elderly women. Tanakan
was found to decrease the intensity of tympanitis and improve speech
and hearing in aged patients, giving rise to the idea of recommending
treatment of it to elderly patients with presbycusis or normal tonal
hearing.
#StayHealthy
Sources and Citations: medicinenet.com
wikipedia.org
 : Meaning, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment){kind=link}
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