In the United States, 13% of people aged 12 or older have hearing loss in both ears. About 2% of adults aged 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss, and 8.5% of adults aged 55 to 64 have disabling hearing loss. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide, or 1 in 4 people, will have some degree of hearing loss by 2050. Age is the strongest predictor of hearing loss among adults. 91% of adults with hearing loss are aged 50 and older. More than half of all people over the age of 80 suffer from hearing loss. But age is NOT the only cause of hearing loss.
There are many causes of hearing loss, including:
- Loud noise
- Trauma to the ear or head
- Ototoxic medicines
- Work-related ototoxic chemicals
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Viral infections and other ear conditions
- Delayed onset or progressive genetic hearing loss
- Congenital or early onset childhood hearing loss
- Chronic middle ear infections
- Age-related hearing loss
- Damage to the middle ear
- Hole in the eardrum
- Conductive hearing loss
Loud noise is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Noise from lawn mowers, snow blowers, or loud music can damage the inner ear and result in permanent hearing loss.
Hearing loss can affect everyone from babies to people in their 60s and 70s.
The four types of hearing loss are:
- Sensorineural: The most common type of hearing loss, which occurs when the tiny hair-like cells of the inner ear or the auditory nerve are damaged.
- Conductive: In conductive hearing loss, the sound lateralizes to the affected side.
- Mixed: A combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.
- Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD):
Hearing loss can range from mild to profound. The five classification degrees of hearing loss are:
- Mild: 20 to 40 decibels
- Moderate: 41 to 60 decibels
- Severe: 61 to 80 decibels
- Profound or deafness: More than 81 decibels
Hearing loss can also be described as fluctuating or stable. Fluctuating hearing loss gets better or worse over time.
Hearing loss can affect your life in several ways, including:
- Social life: You might withdraw from social activities and have fewer opportunities for education and employment.
- Mental health: You might experience grief, anger, anxiety, and depression.
- Quality of life: You might have a lower quality of life.
- Brain health: Hearing loss may contribute to a faster rate of brain atrophy.
Hearing loss can also cause emotional problems, such as:
- A drop in self-esteem and confidence
- A higher incidence of emotional and behavioral disorders
- A higher likelihood of misusing alcohol and drugs
Hearing aids can help people with hearing loss live normal lives.
So what should you do if you believe you have hearing loss issues?
If you think you have hearing loss, you should call your health care provider. They might refer you to a hearing specialist. If you lose your hearing suddenly, you should see your GP as soon as possible.
You can take these steps to compensate for hearing loss:
- Look at the speaker
- Find the best location for listening
- Choose favorable listening environments
- Pay attention to the conversation
- Alert others to your hearing difficulty
- Use closed captioning
You can also protect your hearing in the workplace with:
- Plastic earplugs
- Glycerin-filled earmuffs
Hearing loss can't be cured naturally. Intervention is usually required to restore hearing. This could be in the form of:
- Hearing aid devices
- Surgical intervention
Learn more about hearing aids here: https://klearhearing.com/blogs/hearing-aids-knowledge/how-do-hearing-aids-work