What's worse, the number jumps to 90% by the time people reach 80 and older. This happens when the pressure from outside the eardrum is different from the pressure inside the eardrum. Continuous exposure to loud noise at work (machinery and tools), recreation (motorcycles, snowmobiles), or even common chores such as mowing the lawn can cause damage to the audio sense. Others may suffer from Meniere's disease, a rare condition in which the membrane deteriorates over time. One kind of hearing problems, presbycusis, happens slowly as a individual ages, sonavel.