Approximately one in three people in the U.S. ages 65 to 74 have hearing loss; for people aged 75 and up, that number jumps to nearly half.[1] Because age-related hearing loss happens gradually, many people don’t notice that certain sounds have started to fade or disappear entirely. Let’s look at a few of those sounds below; if you notice any of the same sounds are missing, it’s time for a hearing test.
Birds
Because hearing loss usually affects high-pitched noises first, birdsong is often the first sound people notice is missing. Some people enjoy hearing the occasional tweeting bird in Union Pond Park, while others are avid birdwatchers who could identify the exact bird they’re hearing. If you fall on the birdwatcher side of the spectrum, you’ll probably notice the lack of birdsong a lot sooner than people who only hear it occasionally.
High-Pitched Voices
High-pitched voices, most often belonging to children, disappear early for the same reason birdsong does—they hit that pitch zone that hearing loss takes away first. While children’s voices are most likely to be high-pitched, some adults may also have suddenly muffled or garbled voices.
Your Phone Ringtone
If you find yourself missing more calls or texts because the ringer or notification tone on your phone are quiet or high-pitched, it could be a sign of hearing loss.
Consonants
Difficulty understanding speech is one of the clearest signs of hearing loss, and much of that difficulty stems from an inability to hear certain consonants. You may not realize that specific consonants are harder to hear, but you can often recognize the problem by paying attention to what you do understand. For example, if you don’t understand what someone says the first time, but understand them when they rephrase it, that’s a sign that you were missing key consonant sounds.
Schedule a Hearing Test
If any of the above sounds have faded or disappeared from your life, call Sound Advice Audiology to schedule your comprehensive hearing test.
[1] National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2024). Age-related hearing loss. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/age-related-hearing-loss