Age-Related Hearing Loss

A 72-year-old man presents for a routine visit accompanied by his wife. He has no health issues, but his wife volunteers that she has concerns about his hearing. On further questioning, the patient notes problems with hearing and understanding others but attributes these issues to his wife and other family members not speaking clearly. The patient’s wife notes that she has heard about the recent availability of over-the-counter hearing aids as well as media reports that hearing loss is linked with the risk of dementia. She wonders whether her husband could benefit from using over-the-counter hearing aids.