Hearing After 50: The Everyday Habits That Protect It

Why hearing deserves a place on the list

Most people over 50 keep an informal list of things they do for their health: walking, watching salt and sugar, getting blood work done. Hearing is rarely on it, mainly because age-related hearing loss arrives slowly and disguises itself as other people mumbling. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders describes it as one of the most common conditions affecting older adults, and notes that it usually affects both ears equally and gradually, so it can be hard to notice.¹

It also travels with other things that matter later in life. Hearing loss is listed among the modifiable risk factors for dementia in the Lancet Commission's 2024 report,² is associated with loneliness and social isolation in most studies that have looked,³ and is associated with a higher likelihood of falls among older adults.⁴ These are associations rather than certainties for any individual, but together they make a good case for looking after hearing the way we look after blood pressure: something to check and to look after.

Seven everyday habits that protect the hearing you have

1. Know your loud

Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss, while sounds at or below 70 decibels are unlikely to cause damage even over long periods.⁵ Lawn mowers, power tools, motorcycles and many concerts sit above that line. The rule of thumb: if you have to raise your voice to be heard at arm's length, the room is loud enough to matter.

2. Carry ear protection, and use it

The NIDCD's advice is plain: wear earplugs or other protective devices during loud activities, and if you cannot reduce the noise or protect yourself from it, move away from it.⁵ A pair of foam plugs in the glove box and a pair in the shed covers most of the loud moments in an ordinary week.

3. Manage the conditions that share the same blood supply

Conditions that are common in older adults, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, are associated with hearing loss.¹ The inner ear depends on very small blood vessels, so the same things that protect your heart, staying active, managing blood pressure and blood sugar, are part of protecting your hearing.

4. Ask about your medicines

Some medications are toxic to the sensory cells in the ear; certain chemotherapy drugs are the example the NIDCD gives.¹ If you start a new medicine and notice ringing, fullness or a change in hearing, tell the prescribing doctor rather than waiting for the next appointment.

5. Leave your ear canals alone

Cotton swabs push wax deeper and can scratch the canal. Wax that blocks hearing should be dealt with by a clinician, not a swab. If one ear suddenly feels blocked, that is a reason for a visit, not a home remedy.

6. Stay in the conversation

Because hearing loss is linked with withdrawing from social life,³ the habit of accepting the invitation, choosing the quieter table, and sitting with your back to the wall so voices come from the front, does double duty. It keeps you connected, and it makes the effort of listening smaller.

7. Get it checked, and know your options

The NIDCD suggests seeing your doctor, an otolaryngologist or an audiologist if you think you have hearing loss.¹ A check establishes a baseline, rules out causes that can be dealt with, such as wax or infection, and tells you what kind of loss, if any, is present. Since October 2022, adults 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss have also been able to buy hearing aids over the counter, without a prescription or fitting appointment; the FDA's consumer page explains who those devices are for and, just as important, who should see a doctor first.⁶ The one large randomized trial of hearing aids and cognition, ACHIEVE, found no overall effect on three-year cognitive change but a benefit in the subgroup at higher risk, which is a reminder that hearing care is worth doing for its own sake rather than as a memory remedy.⁷

When a routine check is not enough

Some symptoms call for a doctor promptly rather than a routine check: a sudden change in hearing, hearing that is much worse in one ear, ear pain, fluid or blood from the ear, significant wax build-up, dizziness or vertigo, and ringing in one ear only.⁶ These can point to conditions that need medical attention, and some are time-sensitive.

Advertisement · From our sponsor

About the sponsor's product: Nebroo PRO 3.0

This article is sponsored by Nebroo, which makes the Nebroo PRO 3.0, an over-the-counter hearing aid for adults 18 and older who perceive their hearing loss as mild to moderate.⁶ The description below is the manufacturer's; US Vitality Chronicle has not tested the device.

What the manufacturer states

• Completely-in-canal design, about 0.79 by 0.51 inches per unit, with a single button on the faceplate.
• Six volume levels chosen by the user, as the FDA's over-the-counter rule requires.
• Rechargeable: up to 19 hours per charge, with a case that recharges the pair about three times before it needs an outlet.
• Ten pairs of silicone ear domes in different sizes, a cleaning brush and wax guards included.
• 120-day return window and a one-year warranty, per the manufacturer's stated policy.
• Sold on the manufacturer's own site; listed there as HSA and FSA eligible.

Who over-the-counter hearing aids are for

Intended for

• Adults 18 and older.
• Perceived mild to moderate hearing loss: fine in quiet rooms, difficulty with soft voices, groups or background noise.
• People who want to set up and adjust a device themselves.

See a doctor first if

• You are under 18, or your loss is severe or profound.
• Your hearing changed suddenly, is much worse in one ear, or comes with pain, fluid, dizziness or ringing in one ear only.

Source for the criteria above: the FDA's consumer guidance on over-the-counter hearing aids.⁶ An over-the-counter device is an additional option alongside professional hearing care, not a replacement for it.

See the Nebroo PRO 3.0 product page Take the manufacturer's fit questionnaire

Both links go to the advertiser's pages on this site. Pricing, availability and the return policy are shown there.

Keep reading

Moving enough after 65: what the guidelines actually ask for

150 minutes a week, strength twice a week, and balance work. How to fit it in.

How loud is too loud? A practical guide to everyday noise

The 85-decibel line, where common sounds fall, and what to do about them.

Ear symptoms that should send you to a doctor

The short list of signs that need prompt attention, and what to expect at a hearing evaluation.