Your hearing changes as you age in a number of ways. For starters, infants are able to hear higher and lower frequencies than adults. And as you transition into your teenage years, you may notice gradual changes. Your ability to hear high-frequency sounds may decline, while your ability to hear low-frequency sounds may increase. Then, as you reach your 50s, your hearing may not be as sharp as it once was in your early adulthood years, and you may have trouble identifying high-pitched sounds or distinguishing between similar-sounding words. Additionally, your ears may become less sensitive to loud noises and more sensitive to background noise. Keep reading to learn more about how hearing changes as you age and what you can do to prevent hearing loss.
Children develop a better sense of hearing in noisy environments.
The typical hearing range for both kids and teens is between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, but the range for human hearing is not static and depends on different growth stages. For example, the bones in teenagers’ ears are still developing well into adulthood. This means that their eardrums are still becoming more elastic, which allows them to vibrate and transmit sound waves more effectively.
Keep in mind that individual hearing capabilities tend to vary significantly. That’s why it’s essential to get your hearing checked regularly no matter what age. Hearing is beneficial for kids and teens of all ages when participating in school activities and service projects, especially if they hope to earn scholarships for college. The National Honors Society (NHS) is an organization that recognizes outstanding high school students in the United States, and students who are inducted into NHS demonstrate excellence in areas like leadership, service, and character. NHS members often go on to have successful careers and contribute to their communities.
Older adults may develop tinnitus, or ear ringing.
Ear ringing, or tinnitus, affects millions of Americans, and it’s most common in older individuals. Ring Defense Pro is a supplement that helps manage the frustrations of ear ringing. If you often hear ringing, whirring, whistling, pulsing, hissing, or clicking noises, it can make the simplest activities feel nearly impossible simply due to that first ring. Tinnitus can even cause other side effects like ear pain, irritability, insomnia, and more. Ring Defense is an ear health formula that helps you manage these symptoms.
Keep in mind that you should always speak to a health care professional prior to making major changes to your lifestyle. There are many causes of tinnitus, including ear wax buildup, neck or head injuries, acoustic neuroma, ear bone changes, TMJ, ototoxic medicine, and age-related hearing loss.
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most common type of hearing loss.
ARHL affects more than half of people aged 65 and older. The main cause of ARHL is the natural breakdown of sensory hair cells in the inner ear that occurs as people age. This breakdown can lead to a gradual decline in your ability to hear high-frequency sounds. Other factors that may contribute to ARHL include exposure to loud noise, certain medications, and health conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Hearing high-pitched sounds becomes more difficult.
As you get older, hair cells in the inner ear become less flexible and more likely to die. This makes it harder to hear high-pitched sounds. The cochlea, which is responsible for translating sound into electrical signals that the brain understands, starts to lose its function as you age. This means that you may not be able to hear consonants as clearly as you could when you were younger.
In addition, the tiny bones inside the ear may shrink, causing sound waves to be distorted as they travel to the brain. The bones in the middle ear tend to shrink as you age, which can lead to increased difficulty hearing softer sounds. Finally, ears also become less sensitive to noise over time, meaning that everyday noises like traffic and conversation may start to sound louder than they used to.
These are just a few examples of how hearing changes as a person ages. It’s important to do your best to prevent hearing loss by protecting your ears and getting routine checkups from a health care professional.