Affiliations 

  • 1 Keng Yin Loh, MMed (FamMed). Department of Family Medicine, International Medical University, Jalan Rasah, 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
  • 2 S Elango, MS. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, International Medical University, Jalan Rasah, 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Med J Malaysia, 2005 Oct;60(4):526-9; quiz 530.
PMID: 16570725

Abstract

Hearing impairment is one of the most important health problems of the elderly above 60. Very often it leads to verbal communication difficulty and without treatment it can cause serious psychological and social complications such as depression and social isolation. Prebyscusis remains a leading cause of sensorineural deafness in the elderly. Elderly patient must be encouraged to seek proper hearing assessment if they face hearing difficulty. Active screening by health care workers and patient self-evaluation by answering a simple list of screening questions are possible for early detection and treatment of hearing loss in the elderly. Although hearing loss in the elderly may not have a cure, early rehabilitation helps to restore better quality of life if the problem is detected early.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.