□ Intern reporter Ma Shaopei Reporter Zhao Jing
When the elderly reach a certain age, more or less hearing loss occurs, and some are accompanied by tinnitus. Many elderly people mistakenly believe that hearing loss and dizziness in the elderly are normal physiological aging phenomena, which have not attracted enough attention.
It is understood that the hearing loss caused by the aging of the elderly is generally called presbycusis. At present, the total number of hearing loss patients in my country exceeds 200 million. One in three people over the age of 65 suffers from presbycusis. People with severe hearing loss are five times more likely to develop dementia than those with normal hearing.
March 3 is the 22nd National Ear Care Day. How should seniors protect their ears? Gong Longgang, member of the Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and director of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of the Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi’an Jiaotong University, suggested that the prevention of senile deafness should be “early rather than late”, and early prevention, early diagnosis and treatment can effectively alleviate the hearing loss of the elderly.
“A good state of mind is a good medicine for keeping the ear and eyesight.” Gong Longgang said that the blood vessels of the elderly have poor elasticity, and emotional agitation can easily lead to vasospasm in the ear. Keeping a good mood is to avoid presbycusis A great magic weapon. The condition of suffering from presbycusis varies from person to person. As long as the overall function of the body is good, the nutrition is comprehensive, and the body is healthy, the symptoms of deafness will come more slowly.
Gong Longgang suggested that the elderly should try to avoid long-term noise stimulation, and when encountering sudden noises, they should stay away as soon as possible to reduce the impact and damage of noise on both ears.
For the elderly who smoke and drink, Gong Longgang reminds: “Nicotine and alcohol will directly damage the auditory nerve. Long-term heavy smoking and drinking will also lead to the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the inner ear and affecting hearing. ”
Gong Longgang suggested that the elderly need to develop good eating habits, especially to strengthen nutrition, and supplement zinc, iron, calcium and other trace elements, especially zinc Deafness has a significant effect. You can also choose sports and fitness programs according to your physical condition. Appropriate activities can promote blood circulation throughout the body, and the blood supply to the inner ear will also be improved.
As children, while providing good living conditions for the elderly, we should also pay more attention to the hearing health of the elderly. When the elderly have deafness, back of ears, etc., they should seek medical attention in time.
Gong Longgang reminded that if the elderly are found to have hearing difficulties with high-frequency sounds such as mobile phone vibrations, bird calls, and female voices, family members should take the elderly to a professional institution for testing, screening and evaluation as soon as possible. Diagnose and intervene as soon as possible.