Presdycusis

Presbycusis

Name

Institution

Presbycusis is the kind of hearing loss that occurs as a person grows older and it is usually greater with regards to high pitched sounds (Garrett, 2011). The main cause of presbycusis is the changes in the ear structure as a person ages. Therefore it is important to understand the process of hearing for one to realize what presbycusis is.

For one to hear, sound waves have to enter the auditory canal in the middle ear and strike the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates from the strike and sends the sound waves through the ossicles into the inner ear. This vibration then stirs up the fluid of the cochlea. Changes in the pressure due to vibration of the cochlea fluid agitate the basilar membrane on which the organ of Corti rests, moving the hair cells. The movement then stimulates the sensory hair cells to send impulses along the auditory nerve to the brain (Garrett, 2011). The base of the basilar membrane vibrates more vigorously to high frequency sounds than it does to soft sounds. Hence, the brain is able to distinguish high pitched from low pitched sounds by the differences in the strength of nerve signals from the cochlea. Any damage to any part of the hearing system would lead to partial or total deafness. Presbycusis  is of three kinds; sensory presbycusis which is caused by permanent damage and loss of hair cells in the basal cochlea and is associated with exposure to noise, strial presbycusis which is a result of a decline in the metabolic functioning of the cochlea, and neural presbycusis which is a result of the degeneration of the auditory nerve (Katz, 2009).

Presbycusis disrupts life as it is irreversible and one can only depend on hearing aids for effective communication (Katz, 2009).  Communication is distorted for persons with presbycusis as one has to be facing the other to notice that they are trying to converse with them. One can no longer enjoy listening to the music they love, make a lengthy call, drive on busy streets or even enjoy watching a movie. One should be ready to lose their jobs especially if the job requires a lot of communication such as receptionists, construction work, working with machinery and so on.