So how many of the following sounds can you hear?

How old are your ears?

Okay. If you can hear 8000 Hz, you’re both alive and not hearing impaired, but let’s keep raising the frequency.

CAN YOU HEAR: 12,000 Hz Average Age: Under 50

CAN YOU HEAR: 15,000 Hz Average Age: Under 50

CAN YOU HEAR: 16,000 Hz Average Age: Under 30

CAN YOU HEAR: 17,000 Hz Average Age: Under 24

CAN YOU HEAR: 18,000 Hz Average Age: Under 24

CAN YOU HEAR: 19,000 Hz Average Age: Under 20

How high could you hear?

If you could hear all of those frequencies, you’re probably under 20 years old,

but that won’t last forever, unlike other organs such as the liver or skin,

the inner ear does not have the capacity to regenerate.

In your ear, there are thousands of tiny nerve cells called hair cells.

These are responsible for picking up different frequencies

and sending the signal to the brain where it’s processed.

But as you age, the continual exposure to noise and loud sounds can break, bend and destroy these cells.

So, why do the high frequencies go first?

It turns out that the hair is tuned to high pitches are the first to encounter sound waves.

As a result, they experience more stress and tend to degenerate earlier

which is why the older you are, the harder it is to hear high pitches.

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