By age 50 about one in every three men and one in every four women have difficulty understanding a whisper. Almost half over the age of 75 are hard of hearing. Even a mild hearing loss can affect cognitive functioning, since areas of the brain that normally are reserved for intellectual processing must be reallocated to straining to hear (Xu, Kotak, & Sanes, 2007).
Some of the more common causes of conductive hearing loss are cochlear (nerve) damage due to prolonged exposure to loud noise from jobs or recreational pursuits, such as the experienced by miners, truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, air-hammer operators, some industrial workers, rock concert performers and stage workers, bikers, snowmobilers, race car drivers, airplane mechanics, and those who listen to their iPods and MP3 players at high volume. Audiology testing done by audiologists determines the extent of type f hearing loss (which can range conduction problems to sensorneural deafness). To conduct a simple test, rub two fingers together next to each ear. If you cannot hear this slight sound, you might want to follow up with a hearing exam. Individuals often deny hearing loss because it occurs gradually, they fear the change in lifestyle and the cost, and they are often vain and embarrassed to wear one or two hearing aids (Rutherford, 2001). But hearing loss reduces quality of life, limits the ability to communicate or to drive or operate equipment safely, and can lead to social isolation and depression. Medical scientists are continually improving the quality of sound from hearing aids and cochlear implants.
Taste and Smell.
Taste buds, which detect salty, sweet, sour, and bitter tastes, normally are replaced nearly every 10 days. However, in people who are in their forties, taste buds are replaced at a slower rate and smell receptors begin to deteriorate, affecting the sense of taste. Women have a better sense of taste than men do because they generally have more taste buds, and scientists believe that estrogen increases a woman's taste sensitivity.
