AAMA CMA Practice Question

Presbycusis is the most likely condition given the patient's age and described symptoms. It is an age-related hearing loss where the ability to hear higher frequencies diminishes progressively, making it difficult to understand speech, especially against background noise or during phone conversations. Conductive hearing loss pertains to issues with the ear canal, eardrum, or middle ear, and is less likely to cause difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. Ménière's disease involves episodes of vertigo and hearing loss, which are not mentioned by the patient. Acoustic neuroma involves a tumor on the hearing nerve, which can affect hearing but is less common than presbycusis in elderly patients.