Do you have a loved one that needs a hearing aid, or at a minimum a hearing test, but won’t go along with your suggestions? People often resist seeking assistance for hearing loss, but talking to them about the causes, effects and prevalence of hearing problems may help. The following are some basic facts and stats that may help you make your case:
- Over the past 3 decades, the number of Americans with hearing loss has approximately doubled.
- Women are less likely to have hearing loss than men.
- Approximately 36 million people in the US have some form of hearing loss, which is almost 1 out of every 5 people.
- Roughly 13% of the population over age 65 will experience tinnitus – ringing in the ears.
- Noise is a key contributing factor to hearing loss. Noise has already caused permanent hearing loss for 10 million people. Another 30 million people are exposed to dangerous noise levels on a daily basis.
- Of the individuals who could really benefit from using a hearing aid, only one out of five people wears one.
- One million Americans have tinnitus that is so intense it gets in the way of daily life.
- Close to 13,000 adults and 10,000 children in the United States have cochlear implants.
- Approximately 26 million Americans aged between 20 and 69 suffer from high frequency hearing loss due to regular exposure to loud noise either on the job or during leisure activities.
- People with hearing loss wait roughly a whole decade – ten years – before addressing the issue. Don’t let this be you!