Restoring hearing to the older patient: the physician's role.
There is growing evidence that failure to diagnose and manage hearing problems early in their course results in significant and--to some extent--irreversible sensory deprivation. The primary care physician should routinely screen patients over age 50 for pure-tone sensitivity as part of the general physical examination. Battery-operated, in-office, limited-frequency audiometers are available for under $350.
D000368:Aged; D001299:Audiometry; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology