Presbycusis
Presbycusis is a condition affecting the hearing of many adults. There are a variety of causes, including damage to structures of the middle and inner ear. The result is loss of hearing—not complete deafness, but difficulty in detecting certain sounds within the normal range of hearing. The consequences may be significant: It may be difficult to engage in conversation with others, listen to music, or enjoy watching television or movies. Current treatment, usually in the form of a hearing aid, does not usually restore hearing completely, leaving the patient with a permanent (and sometimes worsening) disability.
To prepare for this assignment:
- Review the information about hearing in Chapter 9, paying special attention to the structures in the middle and inner ear as well as how sound is transmitted and processed.
- Review the NIDCD Web site for more specific information about the causes and consequences of presbycusis.
- Think about the implications of having presbycusis.
The assignment: (1–2 pages)
- First, explain how normal hearing occurs. Include in your discussion the following points:
- How is sound transmitted from the environment outside the body to the inner ear? What structures are involved, and how do they transmit sound?
- What happens in the inner ear (cochlea) when sound waves are converted to neural signals? How is sound frequency (pitch) processed?
- Next, summarize the causes of presbycusis and explain how they will interfere with the normal processing of sound as outlined above.
- Discuss one source of presbycusis involving a problem with the outer/middle ear.
- Discuss one source of presbycusis involving a problem with the inner ear.
- Finally, describe what it might be like to have presbycusis. Include the following points:
- If you have normal hearing now, how would your ability to converse with others be affected?
- What activities that you now enjoy would be limited by this condition?
- How would such a condition affect your work life?
