After 50, Expected Changes in Hearing

Actually hearing changes related to age – known as presbycusis. More than one in three people over 65 has some form of hearing loss but the process frequently starts much younger. Knowing what’s normal and what to expect can help the prevention of hearing loss.

Common Changes After 50

High-Frequency Loss: The most common alteration is the inability to hear high-pitched sounds first. You may have difficulty hearing children’s voices, birds singing or some consonants in speech becoming blurred.

Background Noise: Restaurants, parties and noisy environments are even more challenging. Ever growing hordes of synaptic connections fight for your attention, suppressing and tuning out important sounds in an increasingly distracting environment.

Your brain processes sound slowly: In addition to hearing the sounds themselves, your brain may take time to process and understand speech even when you hear it clearly.

What’s Normal vs. Concerning

Slow changes over years are often natural to ageing. On the other hand, sudden hearing loss, pain and or ringing in your ears may be signs of more serious issues that call for professional help.

Protective Strategies

Testing: Hearing testing once a year after the age of 50 will monitor changes and detect problems early. For a Hearing Test Near Me, contact imperialhearing.com/audiologist-near-me/

Protection from loud noises is essential such as ear protection with machinery, concerts and extended noise exposure periods.

Health management: Control your diabetes, blood pressure and cardiovascular health as these will drive hearing loss faster.