title: [Treating age-related hearing loss: hearing aids are not very popular].
abstract: Presbycusis means the deterioration of hearing resulting from the ageing process. Presbycusis can greatly affect one's quality of life; impaired hearing restricts communication and untreated presbycusis could result in social isolation and even depression. Nevertheless, only a minority of elderly with impaired hearing use a hearing aid. It is preferable to propose a hearing-aid fitting in the earliest stage possible, provided the current reimbursement criteria are met. The Dutch consensus model ('Veldnorm Hoortoestelverstrekking 2009') is the most important guideline in this regard.
authors.affiliation: UMC St Radboud, afd. Keel-, Neus- en Oorheelkunde, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. a.snik@kno.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Ad F M
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Snik
authors.forename: Joop M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Leijendeckers
authors.forename: Henri A M
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Marres
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000628:therapy*