Abstract
Hearing loss measured by pure tone audiometry was compared, for two sound frequencies in the better ear, with subjective deafness in a random sample of older people (215 men, 272 women). Although median values with 95% confidence limits showed significantly greater hearing loss in the groups with subjective deafness, the definition of deafness as hearing loss greater than 30 dB at 1,000 c.p.s. revealed a substantial proportion who complained of deafness with hearing loss of 30 dB or less and a smaller proportion, unaware of deafness, with hearing loss greater than 30 dB. Subjective deafness alone is therefore not an adequate screening test. Tinnitus, vertigo and abnormalities of the ear drum were found to be associated with deafness in the elderly while wax and nasal catarrh were not. None of these symptoms or signs showed age effects on prevalence except subjective deafness which increased with increasing age.