This is a sensorineural hearing loss that happens as you get older. Speech may start to sound muffled or unclear. You may have to ask people to repeat themselves or turn the TV louder to hear it. The most common type of hearing loss is known as age-related hearing loss or presbycusis. This means the gradual loss of hearing that occurs over time. As with other body changes related to aging, hearing loss is a normal—but treatable—part of aging. You may not realize it’s happening until your symptoms become severe or someone else notices you’re having trouble. This type of loss is permanent and usually makes it harder to hear what are known as “high-frequency” sounds, such as children’s voices, birds chirping or the ringing of a telephone.