Aging Hearing

When I see those young people gathered at concerts where the music is so loud that it is peeling the paint off the walls, I want to drag them out of there and tell them what they are doing to their hearing. They never even think about how that loud, loud noise is damaging their eardrums. Come to think of it, I did the same thing, but nobody knew what kind of damage my generation was inflicting on our ability to hear.

Of course, aging is not the only possible cause for the loss of hearing. There are lots of things that can cause it. Frequent ear infections or ear infections that go untreated are two of the major causes of hearing loss in younger people.

But, really, just the process of aging can and does cause hearing loss. As we age, the cells in the inner ear begin to deteriorate. These cells are called cochlea. By the time we reach the age of 50, about 40% of people will have some degree of hearing loss. The hearing loss might not be noticeable for many. For others, they will find themselves asking others to repeat what they said.

Most often, the partner, spouse, or other family members will be the first to notice that a loved one is not hearing as well as they once did. Broaching the subject of hearing loss can be tricky because the idea of losing their hearing is very frightening to many. There are things that can be done to help. You can get closed captioning for television, and there are lip-reading classes that are held in many cities now. Hearing aids are not the only answer, but they are one answer.

The first step is to have a hearing test and then take it from there.