The loss of hearing and voice, in whole or in part, often accompanies old age and meets even more often than the experts considered earlier. And if both these ailments happen at once, the ability of the elderly to seriously communicate.

American experts from the University of Duke found that almost half of people over 65 suffer from partial hearing loss. According to previous studies, one-third of the elderly have problems with voice, such as dysphonia or hoarseness. Earlier, scientists noted that each of these symptoms is associated with the development of depression, with anxiety and social isolation.

The study involved 248 people with an average age of 82.4 years. It turned out that about 11% of the participants in the experiment suffered from both hearing loss and voice problems. And, although the new study did not confirm the existence of a direct link between hearing loss and dysphonia, experts argue that there is still a cause-and-effect relationship.

According to the author of the study, when old people have hearing problems, they try to speak louder to hear themselves. This also happens when their interlocutors do not hear well. Since there is an effective treatment for both hearing loss and dysphonia, it is very important that the elderly with one of the diseases are checked for a second. It should be more comprehensive approach to problems with communication with the elderly, the expert concluded.

Medicinform. Net.