Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1977 Mar-Apr;16(2):146-63.

Presbyacusis, hearing aids and aging

  • PMID: 849209

Presbyacusis, hearing aids and aging

J F Corso. Audiology. 1977 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

This paper considers the factors of presbyacusis and age-related psychological changes in older adults in terms of their effects on the use or potential use of hearing aids as a means of improving aural communication. Data are presented on the prevalence of hearing impairment and the extent of hearing aid use in aging listeners. Four major classes of presbyacusis are described (sensory, neural, metabolic, and cochlear conduvtive) and a hearing aid prognosis is made for each type of disorder. It is shown that aging produces deficits in pure-tone thresholds, the speech reception threshold, and speech discrimination, but not all losses can be 'corrected' with a hearing aid. Binaural (stereophonic) devices are psychoacoustically superior to monaural devices; however, behavioral and personality changes in older patients often create problems of adaptation to the binaural aid. These changes may also affect the fitting of an aid and the patient's ability to learn to use it. Some practical suggestions are offered on the evaluation of hearing aids and it is emphasized that adequate orientation and counseling are typically required if hearing aid treatment is to be successful in presbyacusis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

LinkOut - more resources