Ludwig van Beethoven began losing his hearing gradually starting around 1798, when he was about 27 or 28 years old. His hearing loss progressed over approximately twenty years, initially affecting mostly his left ear and accompanied by buzzing noises. By the time he was 46 years old, around 1816, Beethoven had become completely deaf. Despite this, he continued to compose some of his most famous works during his period of deafness. His first acknowledgment of hearing problems dates to around 1798, and by 1801 he was already expressing concerns about his hearing in letters. Beethoven tried to keep his condition secret initially, fearing it would ruin his career, and withdrew socially. He became completely deaf in his mid-40s but continued to compose music, adapting to his condition through his imagination and use of the piano as a compositional tool.