10 Things You Didn’t Know About Hearing Loss

How thoroughly do you know the facts about hearing loss?

We’ve observed that our patients are virtually always surprised to learn about hearing loss, about how universal it is and how it impacts all age groups. They’re also very surprised to learn how hearing loss can impact all aspects of health.

As hearing professionals, that implies we have a lot of work to do. Certainly, the understanding of hearing loss does not match the reality, and we have to work to raise awareness.

To that end, we’ve gathered ten facts that exhibit how serious and prevalent hearing loss is, but that the majority of people are unaware of.

Here they are:

1. 360 million people worldwide have hearing loss – as reported by the World Health Organization, over 5 percent of the world’s population (360 million) have disabling hearing loss.
2. 48 million people in the United States have hearing loss – that’s 20 percent of all Americans, or one out of every five, that claim some extent of hearing loss.
3. 1 in 5 teenagers has hearing loss – hearing loss in teens is growing with the increased use of earbuds, among other factors. Hearing loss does not discriminate by age group.
4. 65 percent of individuals with hearing loss are under age 65 – the belief that hearing loss only affects old people is one of the most prevalent and erroneous misconceptions about hearing loss.
5. 60 percent of veterans return home with hearing loss and tinnitus – hearing problems are the most commonly documented injury by veterans. Hearing loss is also one of the most prevalent occupational injuries, affecting approximately 22 million workers in the US.
6. Hearing loss can contribute to cognitive decline – several studies out of Johns Hopkins University have confirmed links between hearing loss and cognitive decline, impaired memory, and even an enhanced risk of developing dementia.
7. Hearing loss increases the risk of falling – a recent study reported that people with mild hearing loss were three times more likely to have a history of falling compared to those with normal hearing. And the likelihood of falling increase as hearing loss becomes more significant.
8. Hearing loss is present in 90 percent of tinnitus cases – most cases of tinnitus are accompanied by hearing loss, which means both ailments can oftentimes be treated with hearing aids.
9. Hearing loss can influence income – In a survey conducted by the Better Hearing Institute, hearing loss was shown to negatively impact household income up to an average of $12,000 per year depending on the degree of hearing loss.
10. 28.8 million US adults could benefit from hearing aids – in spite of the fact that hearing aids could help millions of Americans, fewer than one in three actually make use of them. This even with all of the technological improvements.

Help us raise awareness about the facts of hearing loss by sharing this article. You could end up encouraging someone to enhance their life with better hearing.