Making Sense of Sensory Losses as We Age
(FS1378, revised September 2021)Understanding the impact of sensory loss through aging. Understanding these changes can help individuals adapt. Adapting to sensory loss is important for older adults to maintain their independent living
Vision and Aging
As we age, the shape of the eye lens changes. The lens and cornea become less transparent, the pupil becomes smaller and the field of vision shrinks. Visual difficulties may come with these physical changes in the eye, such as:
- decreased ability to see objects clearly
- decreased ability to focus on objects at different distances
- decreased ability to function in low light levels
- decreased ability to distinguish certain color intensities
- decreased ability to correctly judge distances
Common types of vision loss include glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
A problem in many homes that affects vision is an improper amount of light. As we age, we need greater amounts of light. Studies show that a person who is 80 years old will need about three times more light than a young adult to read a book.
Color vision and contrast sensitivity also are affected by aging. The aging lens and cornea cause glare by light scattering, leading to poor vision quality, especially when the pupil dilates in the dark. In addition to larger print, providing color contrast between the print and the paper can help reduce the effort of reading.
As changes occur in vision, schedule a visit to your optometrist to secure the proper glasses for optimal vision. Make needed changes around your home to compensate for changes in vision. To maximize your visual capabilities in the home, increase the level of light by using a higher watt light bulb and evenly distribute or balance the light sources to eliminate glare. Finally, remember the value of getting regular eye checkups to assess your eye health.
Hearing and Aging
Loss of hearing is very gradual, starting at middle age. The loss appears to be caused by a decrease in the elasticity of the eardrum.
Hearing loss often develops slowly and quietly. People may complain that they can hear the spoken sounds, but they can’t understand what the speaker is saying. Words that are quite different can sound the same, such as tea/pea/key, shop/shot/shock or fine/ shine/sign.
Impaired hearing affects more older adults than any other chronic condition. Although only 2 percent of people 55 and older are classified as legally deaf, 30 percent to 50 percent of older adults suffer a hearing loss serious enough to negatively affect the quality of communication and interpersonal relationships.
People have a decreased ability to hear high frequencies and sounds in general.
Sounds may be muffled and difficult to understand. Studies find that high-frequency sounds are filtered out or not heard. Therefore, asking individuals to speak louder may not make the message easier to understand.
People with decreased ability to hear may deny or be embarrassed to talk about the problem. Hearing aids, while very beneficial, never can replace normal hearing.
Many background noises from radio, television, appliances, traffic or busy public gatherings all detract from hearing normal conversation. Other obstacles that may be treatable also could be playing a part in hearing loss.
To accommodate an individual with hearing loss, try to cut down on background noise. Turn off the television or radio during conversations. Ask for quiet sections in restaurants, and try to sit away from the door at theaters.
Begin now to make hearing health a part of your lifestyle. Stay away from loud or prolonged noises when you can. Turn down the music volume. Buy power tools that have sound controls. When you must be around noise, either at work or at play, use something to protect your hearing.
Taste, Smell and Aging
Many people are not aware that an individual’s sense of smell and his or her sense of taste are closely related. Sensory losses in taste and smell can lead to other health concerns for aging individuals.
At age 30, a person has 245 taste buds on each of the tiny elevations (called papilla) on the tongue. By age 70, the number of taste buds decreases to approximately 88. The sense of taste changes slowly.
Sweet and salty tastes seem to be the first affected. For older people, normal seasoning may seem bland. Use of herbs instead of salt may be one answer to increasing the flavor of foods without increasing sodium content, especially for older adults who have high blood pressure.
The lack of taste appeal may discourage the older adult from eating, which may indirectly lead to poor nutrition. One way to compensate for the loss of taste sometimes seen with illness and aging is to concentrate on contrasts in texture, temperature and flavor in preparing foods.
Smell also makes things enjoyable. Our “odor memories” frequently have strong emotional qualities and are associated with the good or bad experiences in which they occurred. Also, when eating a favorite food, the taste is much more flavorful when a person is feeling healthy, as opposed to being congested. Humans can recognize as many as 10,000 different scents, compared with the sense of taste, which is limited to four basic categories: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The sense of smell is very important, but often taken for granted.
The sense of smell is not only important to taste, but it is also essential for detecting signs of danger, such as smoke, gas leaks and spoiled food. A person living with the loss of smell needs to take extra safety precautions. Smoke detectors are a necessity in all areas of the home, especially in the kitchen and near fireplaces. The sense of smell is equally important for identifying spoiled food. Because smell plays an important role in sense related to food quality, safety precautions in handling food are important for older adults. This particularly includes proper storage of food, refrigeration and other food safety guidelines.
Touch and Aging
Touch is a wonderful and needed sense. As we age, the sense of touch decreases because the skin’s sensitivity decreases. The skin becomes less taut and has a loss of elasticity. Tissue loss occurs immediately below the skin. These changes are attributed to changes in the amount of fat below the skin, as well as decreased numbers of nerve endings.
Touch is a necessary sense that alerts us to changes in temperature, movement or pain. We put on more clothes when we feel the temperature cool on our skin. We move a hand away when someone leans too heavily on it.
Loss of tissue and elasticity in skin cells means that older people may become less responsive to stimuli affecting our sense of touch. Because the skin loses sensitivity, an older adult may not experience pain until the skin has been damaged. The reduced fat can cause the body, particularly the extremities, to bruise or even tear for no apparent reason.
Reduced nerve endings can result in a person not noticing a cut, blister or other injury that can lead to infection
The decreased sensitivity may affect a person’s ability to distinguish different stimuli or may reduce their reaction time. For example, the older adult may have difficulty differentiating coins or buttons or have difficulties with fine dexterity, such as catching or picking up small objects. Other small motor skills, such as writing with a pen, also might be affected.
