Hearing and visual impairments. 1992

M J Lichtenstein
Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.

Hearing impairments, with their resultant difficulties in communication function, represent a common chronic condition affecting one third of aged individuals. Loss of hearing ability pervades multiple domains of function in aged individuals, decreasing activity, increasing depressive symptoms, and confounding assessment of cognitive ability. Although they are not curable, hearing impairments are often remediable with appropriate audiologic evaluation and the prescription of amplification devices. The role of the geriatrician in managing hearing impairment is to recognize its presence, provide appropriate audiologic referral, and overcome its effects in the clinical setting by providing optimal listening environments and using ALDs appropriately. Visual loss, too, is a common age-associated disability that has effects in multiple domains of function. Visual loss especially increases the risk of falls and hip fractures and may limit the ability of an older individual to safely operate a car. The ability to remediate visual disability depends on the cause of the underlying impairments and the relative effectiveness of treatment for each. Sight restoration can be dramatic for selected patients with cataracts. Sight preservation is also excellent for persons with diabetic retinopathy. For those with macular degeneration, the data are hopeful but less compelling. Although persons with glaucoma should receive medications to lower their intraocular pressure, experimental evidence that this, in fact, preserves vision is currently lacking. The geriatrician's role in visual rehabilitation consists of the identification of the impairments, determination of the impact of visual loss on other functional domains, and appropriate referral to an ophthalmologist for full assessment and treatment. If severely limited by permanent visual losses, the patient should be referred for appropriate support services.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007398 Interpersonal Relations The reciprocal interaction of two or more persons. Social Relationships,Husband-Wife Communication,Partner Communication,Communication, Husband-Wife,Communication, Partner,Husband Wife Communication,Husband-Wife Communications,Interpersonal Relation,Partner Communications,Relation, Interpersonal,Relationship, Social,Social Relationship
D008297 Male Males
D011304 Presbycusis Gradual bilateral hearing loss associated with aging that is due to progressive degeneration of cochlear structures and central auditory pathways. Hearing loss usually begins with the high frequencies then progresses to sounds of middle and low frequencies. Presbycuses
D012048 Correction of Hearing Impairment Procedures for correcting HEARING DISORDERS. Correction of Auditory Perception,Habilitation of Hearing Impairment,Hearing Impaired Rehabilitation,Rehabilitation of Hearing Impaired,Audiologic Habilitation,Audiologic Rehabilitation,Aural Habilitation,Aural Rehabilitation,Correction of Hearing Loss,Habilitation of Hearing Impaired,Rehabilitation of Hearing Impairment,Audiologic Habilitations,Audiologic Rehabilitations,Auditory Perception Correction,Auditory Perception Corrections,Aural Habilitations,Aural Rehabilitations,Habilitation, Audiologic,Habilitation, Aural,Habilitations, Audiologic,Habilitations, Aural,Hearing Impaired Habilitation,Hearing Impaired Habilitations,Hearing Impairment Correction,Hearing Impairment Corrections,Hearing Impairment Habilitation,Hearing Impairment Habilitations,Hearing Impairment Rehabilitation,Hearing Impairment Rehabilitations,Hearing Loss Correction,Hearing Loss Corrections,Impaired Habilitation, Hearing,Impaired Habilitations, Hearing,Impairment Correction, Hearing,Impairment Corrections, Hearing,Impairment Habilitation, Hearing,Impairment Habilitations, Hearing,Impairment Rehabilitation, Hearing,Impairment Rehabilitations, Hearing,Loss Correction, Hearing,Loss Corrections, Hearing,Perception Correction, Auditory,Perception Corrections, Auditory,Rehabilitation, Audiologic,Rehabilitation, Aural,Rehabilitation, Hearing Impaired,Rehabilitations, Audiologic,Rehabilitations, Aural
D002908 Chronic Disease Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2). Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D005260 Female Females
D006310 Hearing Aids Wearable sound-amplifying devices that are intended to compensate for impaired hearing. These generic devices include air-conduction hearing aids and bone-conduction hearing aids. (UMDNS, 1999) Ear Molds, Hearing Aid,Aid, Hearing,Aids, Hearing,Hearing Aid
D006311 Hearing Disorders Conditions that impair the transmission of auditory impulses and information from the level of the ear to the temporal cortices, including the sensorineural pathways. Distorted Hearing,Dysacusis,Paracousis,Paracusis,Hearing Disorder,Hearing, Distorted
D006320 Hearing Tests Part of an ear examination that measures the ability of sound to reach the brain. Hearing in Noise Test,Quick Speech-in Noise Test (QuickSIN),Real Ear Measurement,Speech in Noise Hearing Test,Ear Measurement, Real,Ear Measurements, Real,Hearing Test,Measurement, Real Ear,Measurements, Real Ear,Quick Speech in Noise Test (QuickSIN),Real Ear Measurements,Test, Hearing,Tests, Hearing
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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