Are you searching for some basic facts and statistics to finally get a loved one to have a hearing evaluation or be fitted for a hearing aid? It is very common for people to resist seeking assistance for hearing problems, but talking to them about the causes, effects and prevalence of hearing problems may help. These facts and statistics could help you convince someone you care about that it is time to get a complete hearing test:
- Over the past 30 years, the number of Americans with hearing loss has approximately doubled.
- Of those aged 65 and older, approximately 13% experience tinnitus.
- Women are less likely to have hearing problems than men.
- Approximately 36 million people in the US have some kind of hearing loss, which is almost 1 out of every five people.
- Many more people could really benefit from a hearing aid than in fact wear one. Some estimates claim there are 4 additional individuals who could benefit, for every one actually using a hearing aid.
- Noise is a key contributing factor to hearing loss. Noise has already resulted in irreversible hearing loss for 10 million. Another 30 million people are exposed to dangerous levels on a daily basis.
- High frequency hearing loss due to repeated loud noise exposure impacts about 26 million people in the US (ages 20-69). This includes repeated noise exposure from both work and recreational sources.
- About 23,000 people in the US have cochlear implants – 43 percent of the them children.
- Hearing loss classification studies report that 5% of cases are severe, 30% moderate and 65% are classified as mild.
- People with hearing loss wait an average of approximately 10 years before doing anything about it. Does this describe you?