What frequency range does presbycusis primarily affect?

Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, primarily affects high frequencies as individuals age. This type of hearing loss is characterized by a gradual decline in the ability to hear sounds, particularly those at the higher end of the frequency spectrum, generally above 2000 Hz. The reason for this preference for high frequencies is attributed to several factors, including natural degeneration of the hair cells in the cochlea, specifically those located in the basal region, which are responsible for high-frequency sound detection.

As presbycusis progresses, individuals often find it increasingly difficult to hear consonants and other speech sounds that are in the higher frequency range, resulting in challenges in understanding speech, especially in noisy environments. This phenomenon can significantly impact communication and social interaction. In contrast, the lower frequencies typically remain unaffected or are only minimally affected, thus reinforcing the prominence of high-frequency loss in presbycusis.