People who work in manufacturing, construction, the military and in entertainment are at a much higher risk of developing early-onset hearing loss than the general population. People in construction, for instance, are more exposed to loud noises, such as those from a pneumatic drill.
About two to four of every 1,000 people in the U.S. are “functionally deaf,” with the majority of them aged 65 years or older. More than 70 million people worldwide are deaf, with more than 80% of them residing in developing countries. More than 1,700 babies in 2020 were estimated to have been born deaf.
It is one of the most common conditions affecting adults as we age. Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) ages 18 and over report some trouble hearing, and about one in three people in the U.S. between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss. Nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing.
The most common cause of acquired hearing loss is noise, which accounts for over one quarter of people affected by hearing loss. You can protect your hearing by reducing your exposure to loud noise or wearing suitable protection such as ear muffs or ear plugs.
Major causes of hearing loss include congenital or early onset childhood hearing loss, chronic middle ear infections, noise-induced hearing loss, age-related hearing loss, and ototoxic drugs that damage the inner ear. The impacts of hearing loss are broad and can be profound.
It can be heard in one or both ears, and it may be loud or soft. Tinnitus is sometimes the first sign of hearing loss in older adults. It can accompany any type of hearing loss. Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease.
Noise above 70 dB over a prolonged period of time may start to damage your hearing. Loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your ears.
Adults with mild hearing loss should begin using hearing aids immediately, even if they can still pick up on most conversations. The reason for this is that it helps to improve brain function by stimulating auditory processing.
Hearing loss can be genetic with or without a family history of hearing loss. Some families with genetic hearing loss may have many members who are affected, other families may have only one. Even if your child is the first in your family to be diagnosed with hearing loss, a genetic change can still be the cause.
The most common causes of hearing loss are: Aging. Noise exposure. Head trauma.
Levels of Hearing Loss
Mild hearing loss indicates people have difficulty hearing speech below 26 to 40 dB. Mild loss is particularly noticeable when someone is talking while not facing you or talking to a child who speaks softly (and in the higher frequencies).
Someone with mild to severe hearing loss is said to be hard of hearing, while those with profound hearing loss are considered deaf. Note that the Global Burden of Disease reports that any hearing loss above 35 dB is considered “disabling.”
Signs of hearing loss
difficulty hearing other people clearly and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places. asking people to repeat themselves. listening to music or watching TV with the volume higher than other people need. difficulty hearing on the phone.
Behavioral Audiometry Evaluation will test how a person responds to sound overall. Behavioral Audiometry Evaluation tests the function of all parts of the ear. The person being tested must be awake and actively respond to sounds heard during the test.
It is caused by disruption of the nerve impulses travelling from the inner ear to the brain, although what causes this is unknown, and there is no cure. Both ears are usually affected, and the hearing loss ranges from mild to severe. Auditory neuropathy is sometimes referred to as a form of neural or nerve deafness.
About hearing loss
age – hearing loss increases from about half of those aged 60 to 70, to 70% of those aged 70 and over, and 80% of those aged 80 and over. exposure to loud noise – this is often preventable. untreated ear disease. genetics.
People who have hearing loss are only able to hear some of the speech and sounds around them. If they can hardly hear anything, or can't hear anything at all, they are considered to be deaf. Deaf people may be able to hear a few sounds, but can't understand speech.