Word parts
presby- old age-cusis hearing
What it means
The gradual hearing loss of aging, caused by wear on the hair cells of the inner ear and on the hearing nerve. It affects both ears, and high-pitched sounds go first, so speech sounds such as "s", "f" and "th" become hard to tell apart and talk in a noisy room is hard to follow. It is a sensorineural hearing loss: it cannot be reversed, but hearing aids help.
For the nurse
Face the client, get their attention first and speak clearly in a lower pitch without shouting. Cut background noise, and check that hearing aids are in, turned on and working.
Remember it
Presby- means old, as in presbyopia, the near-vision loss of aging.
At a glance
| Spanish | presbiacusia |
|---|
Related terms
presbyopia
The gradual loss, with age, of the eye's ability to focus on things up close.