[Aging and deafness].

The hearing loss that appears with ageing or presbyacusis should not lead to withdrawal from communication an elderly person. The disorder should be recognised early. The first warning sign is difficulty for understanding in a noisy environment. When an individual indicates this problem, measurements of auditory functions should first be made and regular followed-up should be scheduled or therapeutic measures taken. Such measures generally include a hearing aid that amplifies the affected frequencies and speech therapy to learn lip reading. Some patients may profit from psychological follow-up during this new learning process. The family physician is crucial in the rehabilitation in encouraging the patient to seek medical help as soon as hearing loss begins.