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Updated: Jan 23, 2026
Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Hearing Impairment in Old Age
Jan Löhler1, Mario Cebulla, Wafaa Shehata-Dieler
1Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck; German Center of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (DSZ HNO), Bonn; Otolaryngological practice, Bad Bramstedt; Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Pedaudiology, Phoniatrics and Electrophysiology, University Hospital of Würzburg, CHC, Würzburg; St. Elisabeth- Hospital, Clinics of the Ruhr University of Bochum, Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, Head and Throat Surgery, Ruhr University of Bochum; Otolaryngological group practice, Sulzbach (Taunus); Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Sleep Disorders Center, University Hospital Mannheimm.
Background:
Hearing impairment associated with old age (presbycusis) is becoming more common because the population is aging.
Methods:
This review is based on publications retrieved by a selective search in Medline and Google Scholar, including individual studies, meta-analyses, guidelines, Cochrane reviews, and other reviews.
Results:
The cardinal symptom of presbycusis is impaired communication due to bilateral hearing impairment. Patients may be unaware of the problem for a long time because of its insidious progression. Evidence suggests that untreated hearing impair- ment in old age can have extensive adverse effects on the patient's mental, physical, and social well-being. Early detection is possible with the aid of simple diagnostic tests or suitable questionnaires. In most cases, bilateral hearing aids are an effective treatment. Surgery is rarely indicated. For patients with uni- or bilateral deafness, a cochlear implant is the treatment of choice. These treatments can improve many patients' quality of life.
Conclusion:
The small amount of evidence that is currently available suggests that presbycusis is underdiagnosed and under- treated in Germany. Early detection by physicians of all specialties, followed in each case by a specialized differential diagnostic evaluation, is a desirable goal.
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