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Age-Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis)

What is presbycusis?

Age-related hearing loss (or presbycusis) is the gradual loss of hearing in both ears. It’s a common problem linked to aging. One in 3 adults over age 65 has hearing loss. Because of the gradual change in hearing, some people are not aware of the change at first. Most often, it affects the ability to hear high-pitched noises such as a phone ringing or beeping of a microwave. The ability to hear low-pitched noises is usually not affected.

What causes age-related hearing loss?

There may be many causes for age-related hearing loss. It most most often occurs because of  changes in the following locations:

  • Within the inner ear (most common)
  • Within the middle ear
  • Along the nerve pathways to the brain

Other things that affect age-related hearing loss:

  • Continuous exposure to loud noise (such as music or work related noise)
  • Inherited factors
  • Aging
  • Various health conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes

What are the symptoms of age-related hearing loss?

The following are the most common symptoms of age-related hearing loss:

  • Speech of others sounds mumbled or slurred
  • Men's voices are easier to hear than women's
  • Some sounds seem overly loud and annoying

The symptoms of age-related hearing loss may look like other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your health care provider for a diagnosis.

How is age-related hearing loss diagnosed?

Your health care provider will use an otoscope, which is a lighted scope, to check in the outer ear canal and to look at the ear drum. He or she will look for damage to the ear drum, blockage of the ear canal from foreign objects or impacted ear wax, inflammation or infection.

You may be referred to a hearing specialist, audiologist, to have an audiogram. An audiogram is a test in which sounds are played through headphones, to one ear at a time. You are asked to respond if you are able to hear each sound. If a person can’t hear certain tones this suggests there has been some degree of hearing loss.

How is age-related hearing loss treated?


  • How old you are
  • Your overall health and medical history
  • How sick you are
  • How long the condition is expected to last
  • Your opinion or preference

Treatment options for age-related hearing loss may include the following:

  • Hearing aid(s)
  • Assistive devices, such as telephone amplifiers or technology that converts speech to text
  • Training in speech-reading (to use visual cues to determine what is being said)
  • Techniques for preventing excess wax in the outer ear

What are the complications of age-related hearing loss?


What can I do to prevent age-related hearing loss?


  • Avoid loud noises and reduce noise exposure

Living with age-related hearing loss

If you have hearing loss, your health care professional can refer you to specialists in hearing loss, such as an:

  • Audiologist. This is a health care professional who specializes in testing hearing problems and managing hearing problems.

Key points

  • Age-related hearing loss is a gradual hearing loss in both ears. It is a common problem associated with aging.
  • If you have sudden hearing loss, see your health care provider right away as this may be the development of a serious hearing problem.
  • Avoiding constant or continuous exposure to loud noises can help protect your hearing and prevent gradual hearing loss.
  • It is not a reversible condition so prevention is important.

Next steps


  • Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.

Medical Reviewers:

  • Foster, Sara, RN, MPH
  • Snyder, Mandy L, MSN, ACNP-BC