HESI Health Assessment Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Study Guide for Exam Success!

A normal finding during an ear examination of an 80-year-old patient is often characterized by high-tone frequency loss. This type of hearing loss is common as individuals age due to changes in the auditory system, including the cochlea's sensitivity to higher frequency sounds. As a result, older adults may experience difficulty hearing certain high-pitched sounds, which is a recognized and expected change associated with aging.

Recognizing high-tone frequency loss in older adults is important for healthcare providers as it reflects typical presbycusis, a gradual and progressive loss of hearing that occurs with advancing age. Understanding this change normalizes the examination findings and helps guide appropriate management and interventions to improve the patient’s hearing and communication.

On the other hand, other findings such as a thin, translucent eardrum, increased elasticity of the pinna, or a shiny, pink tympanic membrane do not typically align with standard aging-related changes within the ear. For instance, aging often leads to structural changes in the ear that may not present as typical physical findings, such as changes in the appearance of the tympanic membrane or elasticity of the surrounding structures.