Non-hearing consequences associated with presbycusis and balance disorders

Multiple studies have proven that social isolation predicts mortality, psychiatric disorders, cognitive and physical impairment among older people. Hearing loss produces a functional deficit where understandability and speech discrimination decline, particularly in noisy environments.

Ageing may also be associated with higher risk of depression (Freeman et al., 2016), including sadness, low self-esteem, guilt, lack of interest in the day to day, disrupted sleep, or appetite, which have impact on the ability to focus (World Health Organization, 2018).

Hearing loss or hearing impairment is a prevalent condition. It affects 360 million people around the world. It determines various levels of disability, ranging from the physical aspect to social and psychological aspects.