How old are YOUR ears? The 30-second hearing age check can indicate if you are losing your hearing prematurely

Want to know if you have early signs of hearing loss?

Well, now you can, thanks to a simple 30-second test.

The test, created by hearing health app eargym, asks you to press the pause button when you can no longer hear the background tone.

The frequency of the tone that users can hear (measured in Hertz) is used to estimate the user’s hearing age because the older we get, the harder it is for our ears to hear higher frequencies.

Most humans start out being able to hear sounds up to 20,000 Hz.

This nearly halves to 11,500 Hz when you reach your 40s and drops even further (8,000 Hz) for adults in their 60s, according to a 2021 study. study published in the Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

In a recent analysis of the results of an app-based version of this test, eargym found that nearly half (47 percent) of people ages 16 to 35 have a hearing age higher than their biological age.

Among people ages 16 to 35 who had an older hearing age, the average age difference between their hearing age and their biological age was 13 years.

Andy Shanks, hearing health expert and co-founder of eargym, said: “Most of us will experience some form of hearing loss throughout our lives.

“But if we can spot the signs early and make some small changes, we can take steps to protect our hearing and prevent future avoidable hearing loss.”

He suggests using games like this 30-second test to check your hearing regularly and detect any abnormal changes.

“Safe listening practices, such as using hearing protectors, gigplugs and noise-canceling headphones, can also make a big difference in protecting our hearing health in the future,” added Mr Shanks.

“Hearing loss is one of the largest modifiable risk factors for dementia and is strongly associated with poor mental health and cognitive decline.

“Therefore, taking care of our hearing at all ages is essential to protect not only our ears but also our mind.”

Around 12 million people in the UK are affected by hearing loss.

It is associated with social isolation and cognitive decline, and is one of the biggest modifiable risk factors when it comes to developing dementia.

However, adults wait an average of 8.9 years before seeking help.

Research suggests that hearing loss costs the UK economy £25 billion a year in lost productivity and unemployment.

Common signs of hearing loss include asking people to repeat themselves, difficulty hearing on the phone, and listening to music or TV at a higher volume than other people need, the NHS warns.

There are many possible causes of hearing loss, such as an ear infection, earwax, or age.

But it could also be due to a perforated eardrum, which causes sudden hearing loss, or Ménière’s disease, which can affect balance and hearing.

If you notice signs of hearing loss, it is important not to self-diagnose and visit your GP for a more extensive hearing test.