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.