Hearing loss and tinnitus after 50

Hearing usually fades slowly with age, starting with high-pitched sounds, which is why speech can seem mumbled in a noisy restaurant long before quiet conversation becomes hard. Age-related hearing loss is common and often goes unaddressed for years, partly because it creeps in so gradually. Tinnitus, a ringing, buzzing or hissing sound with no outside source, often travels with it, and noise exposure, ear wax, some medications and stress can all play a part.

This hub gathers every Stark Verve article on hearing and the ears: how hearing tests work and how to read an audiogram, the options from over-the-counter hearing aids to cochlear implants, the many causes of ringing in the ears and what research supports for managing it, and everyday problems such as ear wax and ear pressure. Each article cites its sources. Some symptoms need prompt care: sudden hearing loss, especially in one ear, should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible, and ringing that pulses with your heartbeat is worth having checked.