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SPECIFIC CHANGES WITH AGING: HEARING
The ear also is made up of delicate outer structures and of nerve cells far within. The more external structures concentrate and amplify sound, preparing it for transmission to the brain by the delicate inner ear. By about our thirties, the nerve cells gradually begin to atrophy. The deterioration begins earlier and advances more quickly when we have been exposed to high noise levels. The cells responsible for our hearing high-pitched sounds atrophy differentially, so as we grow older we lose hearing for high tones in particular. For instance, if a tuba and a piccolo are played at an equal volume, the tuba sounds louder. Our hearing is a function of pitch, not of volume alone. Generally this loss presents problems only when it has advanced so it causes trouble in understanding conversation. But even the minor changes called \"normal\" require our making a few adjustments to fully enjoy being with people.
The hum of background noise has a low pitch and so is more disturbing as we get older. It is more likely to drown out the closer, higher-pitched sounds we need to hear. By our seventies, hearing conversation in a noisy place is likely to be very difficult. Cocktail parties may be uncomfortable. You may wish to pass them up in favor of intimate dinners. When you go out, avoid crowded restaurants. Sit as far as possible from a noisy heater or fan. Because bare floors, low ceilings, and angled walls also magnify background noise, rooms with any of these features are bad places for a chat. (In a restaurant in my neighborhood, the combination of these three noise-magnifying features made the owners lose so much business that they were forced to completely remodel.)
*10/159/5*
GENERAL HEALTH
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