Age-Related Hearing Loss Due to Aging Brain, Not Ears

When background noise becomes a problem to hold conversations, many think it's hearing loss due to aging. However, a new study by researchers from the University of Maryland finds that the problem may not just be in your ear, but also in your brain. They have discovered that the brain's ability to process speech declines with age. Study participants were given a speech comprehension test and also underwent brain scans and they correlated the age with hearing loss.