Hearing Loss Demographics
Editor: Here's some more interesting information from Bob
MacPherson's bhNEWS list. He credits the Starkey website (http://www.starkey.com/1_identify/cultural_a.html
) as the information source.
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Hearing loss is more common than you might think. Interestingly, due
to recreational and environmental noise, hearing loss is occurring at
younger and younger ages. Consider the facts:
Demographics:
28 million Americans are hearing impaired, and an estimated 500
million experience hearing loss, worldwide.
In the U.S., one out of 12 30-year-olds is already hearing-impaired
and one in 8 50-year-olds suffer from hearing loss.
After President Bill Clinton was fitted for hearing aids, more than 1
million other baby boomers identified themselves as experiencing hearing
loss.
There are more baby boomers aged 45-64 with a hearing loss (10
million) than there are people over the age of 65 with a hearing loss (9
million).
More than a third of all hearing loss is attributed to noise: loud
music, loud workplaces, loud recreational equipment.
Thanks to the above, we're all losing our hearing at a younger age
than we were 30 years ago.
Of the 10 million Americans aged 45 to 64 who have a hearing loss, 6
out of 7 do not yet benefit from wearing hearing aids.
Hearing loss facts:
Hearing loss is second only to arthritis as the most common complaint
of older adults.
Only about 10% of hearing losses are helped by surgery or other
medical treatment.
90% of hearing losses can be treated with the use of hearing
instruments.
Only 16% of physicians routinely screen for hearing loss.
Noise above 80-90 decibels on average over an 8-hour workday is
considered hazardous.
Firearms, music, airplanes, lawnmowers, power tools and many
appliances are louder than 80 decibels and potentially hazardous to
hearing with prolonged exposure.
A live rock concert produces sounds from 110 to 120 decibels-easily
high enough to cause permanent damage to hearing over a 2- to 3-hour
period.
