With aging, ear structures deteriorate. The eardrum often thickens and the inner ear bones and other structures are affected.

Some hearing loss is almost inevitable with age. It is estimated that 30% of all people over 65 have significant hearing impairment. Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound has problems getting through the external and middle ear. Surgery or a hearing aid may be helpful for this type of hearing loss.

The tongue is mainly composed of muscles. It is covered with a mucous membrane. Small nodules of tissue (papillae) cover the upper surface of the tongue. Between the papillae are the taste buds, which provide the sense of taste. In addition to taste, the tongue functions in moving food to aid chewing and swallowing, and it is important in speech.

Vision occurs when light is processed by the eye and interpreted by the brain. Light passes through the transparent eye surface (cornea). The pupil (the black opening in the front of the eye) is an opening to the eye interior. It can get larger or smaller to regulate the amount of light entering the eye. The colored portion (iris) is really a muscle controlling the pupil size. The inside of the eye is filled with a gel-like fluid. There is a flexible, transparent lens that focuses light so it hits on the back of the eye (the retina). The retina converts light energy into a nerve impulse that is carried to the brain and then interpreted.

With age, the lens may become misshaped and the corneal tissue may become clouded.