Hearing loss that comes on little by little as you age, also known as presbycusis, is common. More than half the people in the United States older than age 75 have some age-related hearing loss.

There are three types of hearing loss:

Aging and being around loud noises both can cause hearing loss. Other factors, such as too much earwax, can lower how well ears work for a time.

You usually can’t get hearing back. But there are ways to improve what you hear.

Symptoms of hearing loss may include:

When to see a doctor

If you have a sudden loss of hearing, particularly in one ear, seek medical attention right away.

Talk to your health care provider if loss of hearing is causing you trouble. Age-related hearing loss happens little by little. So you may not notice it at first.

To understand how hearing loss happens, it can be helpful to understand how hearing works.

How you hear

The ear has three main parts: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. Sound waves pass through the outer ear and cause the eardrum to vibrate. The eardrum and three small bones of the middle ear make the vibrations bigger as they travel to the inner ear. There, the vibrations pass through fluid in a snail-shaped part of the inner ear, known as the cochlea.

Attached to nerve cells in the cochlea are thousands of tiny hairs that help turn sound vibrations into electrical signals. The electrical signals are transmitted to the brain. The brain turns these signals into sound.

How hearing loss can occur

Causes of hearing loss include:

Factors that damage or lead to loss of the hairs and nerve cells in the inner ear include:

Comparing loudness of common sounds

The chart below lists common sounds and their decibel levels. A decibel is a unit used to measure how loud sound is. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says noise above 70 decibels over time can start to damage hearing. The louder the noise, the less time it takes to cause lasting hearing damage.

Sound levels of common noises
Decibels Noise source
Safe range
30 Whisper
40 Refrigerator
60 Normal conversation
75 Dishwasher
Risk range
85 Heavy city traffic, school cafeteria
95 Motorcycle
100 Snowmobile
110 Chain saw
110 Jackhammer, rock concert, symphony
115 Sandblasting
120 Ambulance siren, thunder
140-165 Firecracker, firearms

Longest amount of time to be around loud sounds

Below are the loudest noise levels people can be around on a job without hearing protection and for how long.

Maximum job-noise exposure allowed by law
Sound level, decibels Duration, daily
Based on The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 2018.
90 8 hours
92 6 hours
95 4 hours
97 3 hours
100 2 hours
102 1.5 hours
105 1 hour
110 30 minutes
115 15 minutes or less

Hearing loss can make life less pleasant. Older adults with hearing loss often report being depressed. Because hearing loss can make it harder to talk with others, some people with hearing loss feel cut off from others. Hearing loss is also linked to loss of thinking skills, known as cognitive impairment.

Hearing loss also is linked to risk of falling.

The following steps can help prevent hearing loss from loud noises and keep hearing loss from aging from getting worse:

Tests to diagnose hearing loss may include:

You can get help for hearing problems. Treatment depends on the cause of the hearing loss and how bad it is.

Options include:

These tips can help you stay connected with hearing loss:

If you think you have hearing loss, call your health care provider. Your provider might refer you to a hearing specialist, also known as an audiologist.

Here’s some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

What you can do

For hearing loss, some questions to ask include:

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care provider might ask you questions, including:

© 1998-2024 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.

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