Age-related hearing loss
Age-related hearing loss, the medical term is presbycusis, is a gradual loss of hearing in both ears that comes with getting older. It is the most common cause of hearing loss worldwide. It usually creeps in so slowly that a partner or family member notices before you do.
Signs you might notice.
High-pitched sounds go first, which shapes what you miss. Tick the ones you recognise.
A free hearing test tells you exactly where you stand, and we can track your hearing year on year from there. No pressure, no obligation. Bring someone with you, they get tested free.
A mix of time and everything your ears have been through.
Gradual, natural changes to the hair cells and nerves in your inner ear over time. The main cause.
Some people are more genetically predisposed than others.
Years of loud noise add to age-related changes.
Certain health conditions and some medications can also play a part.
How we can help.
Age-related hearing loss cannot be reversed, but hearing aids are usually a very effective answer. We assess your specific hearing at your free test and talk you through the options, with no pressure either way.
From nearly invisible to fully rechargeable, there is a style for most lifestyles and levels of hearing loss.
See hearing aid typesOticon, ReSound, Phonak and Starkey. We are independent, so we fit whichever is genuinely right for you.
See our brandsFive tiers with no hidden costs, from Essential through to Platinum. Custom styles at no extra charge.
See hearing aid pricesA real demo after your hearing test, and a 60 day money back guarantee either way.
See hearing aid fittingsAge-related loss develops gradually, so hearing that drops over hours or days needs urgent medical attention: your GP, NHS 111, or A&E.
In our clinic, or in your home.
Same audiologists, same equipment, same full assessment. You choose where.
The full assessment at our Birmingham clinic, completely free, no obligation.
- 60 minutes, results before you leave
- Evening and weekend appointments
- Bring someone, they are tested free too
The same full test, brought to your living room, tuned to real life: your TV, your phone, your front door.
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- Whoever is with you is tested free
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Common questions.
The hearing loss itself is permanent, because the cells inside your ear that pick up sound do not grow back. What can change is how well you hear day to day, and hearing aids do that very well for most people.
From about 50 it is worth having one test even if you have noticed nothing, so we have something to compare against later. After that, every year or two. If you have already noticed something, age does not matter. Get it checked now.
Because the high sounds go first. Letters like s, f and th are high sounds, and they are what make words clear. The lower sounds carry the volume, and you keep those. So speech still sounds loud enough, it just does not sound clear.
Hearing loss that is left untreated is one of the things researchers list as a risk factor for dementia. Whether treating it lowers that risk is still being studied. It is a good reason to take hearing loss seriously, not a reason to worry. If you are concerned about memory, speak to your GP.
If both ears have lost hearing, you need two. Your brain works out where a sound is coming from, and picks one voice out of a crowd, by comparing what it hears in each ear. With only one, you lose that.
No, but it does take a bit longer. Your brain has had years of not hearing those sounds, so the first few weeks take more getting used to. It is still worth doing.
Written and clinically reviewed by our HCPC registered audiologists. Last reviewed: 14 September 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your hearing, book a hearing test or speak to your GP.