 Age-related hearing decline is not curable, but it can be treated with hearing aids that achieve the crucial goal of helping people hear better. While hearing loss is often associated with aging, Locke says it's important for people of all ages to protect their hearing. Pop those little foam plugs in your ears so that you're not having your ears assaulted at work or at noisy concerts. So there's simple things that you can do to protect your hearing no matter what age you are.