The demographics of hearing loss
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
Hearing Loss Myths
Myth:
Only a few people are truly hearing impaired; the statistics don’t
apply to me or those close to me.
Fact:
With 28 million reporting hearing loss in this country alone, or one in
10 people, odds are good that you or someone you know is indeed affected
by hearing loss—especially if you’re age 60.
Myth:
If I did have a hearing impairment, I’d certainly know about it.
Fact:
The truth is, hearing loss happens gradually and the signs are subtle
at first. Our own built-in defenses and ability to adapt make it difficult
to self-diagnose. A simple Q & A hearing test
can help you gain insight, while professional screening can provide a more
definitive answer.
Myth:
Most hearing problems can’t be helped.
Fact:
30 or 40 years ago, that was true. Today, 90% of hearing loss—the kind
that’s brought on by age or exposure to noise—is very responsive to
treatment in the form of technically advanced hearing instruments.
Myth:
If you’re hearing impaired, it just means sounds aren’t loud enough.
Fact:
Hearing isn’t only about loudness or decibel level. Typically, hearing
loss has more to do with the frequency of the sound—that is, its
pitch—than its loudness. When hearing loss occurs, it’s harder to hear
higher pitches—especially when there is background noise to complicate the
picture, such as conversation in a noisy restaurant. That’s why amplifying
incoming sounds alone isn’t as effective in treating hearing loss as
amplifying selectively.
Myth:
Living with hearing loss is not a big deal.
Fact:
There are many psychological effects to hearing loss, including
frustration, withdrawal, and depression. Trouble communicating with others
creates a strain on relationships and a loss of esteem. It’s far better to
deal with hearing loss than to pretend it isn’t happening—or to ignore the
effect it is having on those around you.
Myth:
Hearing aids are obvious and unattractive.
Fact:
While it’s true that hearing aids don’t enjoy the fashion status of a
pair of glasses, new technology has made these devices remarkably
discreet. Many people can wear aids that are either tucked well inside the
ear or almost completely hidden in the ear canal. Behind-the-ear styles
are often disguised by hairstyles.
Myth:
Hearing loss and hearing aids are a sign of old age.
Fact:
Things are changing. Just as hearing loss is itself no longer the
province of the elderly (there are more hearing-impaired people in the
45-64 year-old age category than there are in the over-65 age group),
neither is wearing a hearing aid. Many of the baby boomers now
experiencing hearing loss will undoubtedly invest in better hearing sooner
than later. And, as a culture, we’re increasingly showing our preference
for treatment over doing nothing—witness the popularity of such
investments in life as laser eye surgery and hormone replacement therapy,
to name a few. Indeed, doing nothing to help yourself may be seen as a
more obvious sign of old age than the problem itself.
Myth:
Really good hearing aids are prohibitively expensive.
Fact:
Better hearing through technology is within the reach of most people.
The real issue is quality of life, and what it’s worth to you. While good
hearing aids are seen as expensive, putting a price on a better life
experience is hard to do. You have to weigh the benefits and make your own
decision. However you choose to look at it, treating hearing loss and
enjoying the benefits is still relatively inexpensive compared to treating
most health problems.
Myth:
Hearing aids don’t work.
Fact:
Hearing aids won’t restore lost hearing or stop the progression of age-
or noise-related hearing loss. And because hearing is as much a function
of the brain as it is the inner ear, hearing aids aren’t the whole story
in hearing better. But smart new technologies, including the ability to
amplify sound selectively, do help most people to hear better in most
situations. Even so, it needs to be said that no hearing aid, no matter
how sophisticated, will work unless you are willing to wear and adapt to
it.
How does hearing loss happen?
We know a lot about how hearing loss occurs. By far the most common
cause is the natural aging process. Just like our hair thins and gets
gray, and our eyes lose fine focus, hair cells in the inner ear weaken,
break and grow unresponsive with age.
The second leading cause of hearing loss is exposure to noise. Loud
machinery at home or where you work can damage your ears—even short bursts
of sound over 90 decibels can have an impact. Prolonged noise is worse.
Our lives are filled with noise we can’t control: in military or factory
environments, and from airplanes, subway trains, and traffic sounds.
There’s also plenty of noise we can control, but choose not to…rock
concerts, loud cheering at sporting events, and all those power tools
around the house.
All of these forms of hearing loss are examples of sensorineural loss.
Heredity can also play a role in developing this kind of hearing loss.
Hearing losses can also be caused by illness such as severe ear infection,
disease, tumors or injury—for example, a blow to the head. Another cause,
easily fixed, is a build-up of earwax in the ear canal. Some of these
problems will ease on their own, while others may respond to medicines or
surgery. These are examples of conductive hearing loss.
When it comes to treating hearing loss, you can often improve your
ability to hear and communicate with hearing instruments. The first step
is having your hearing evaluated by Ellis Scoot and Associates.
What are the Types of hearing loss?
Hearing loss falls into two broad categories, depending on the part of
the ear that’s affected. You can have a hearing loss in one ear only, or
more commonly, the loss may be binaural, or in both ears.
Conductive hearing loss
When the structures of the outer or middle ear fail to conduct sound
waves to the inner ear properly, the result is conductive hearing loss.
This type of loss is usually temporary and may be reversed through surgery
or other medical means. Causes include ear infections, injury to the ear,
such as a punctured eardrum, or even a build-up of wax in the ear canal.
Because children are prone to ear infections, it’s important to have their
hearing checked frequently and to be aware of the signs of hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss describes what happens when the inner ear
doesn’t process sound normally. It can result from a variety of causes,
but the most typical scenario is damage done to hair cells in the cochlea
from exposure to loud noise and/or the natural aging process. When hair
cells are unresponsive, sounds are not properly transmitted to the
auditory nerve in the brain. Sensorineural hearing loss accounts for about
90% of all hearing losses.
While sensorineural hearing loss is irreversible, you can help prevent
further damage from noise by wearing earplugs in noisy environments and
listening to music at lower, more comfortable levels.
How do I recognize the Signs of a Hearing Loss?
If you think someone you know might have a hearing loss, take a look at
this list of common signs. Do any of the following sound familiar?
- They appear to hear people talk but have difficulty understanding
some of the words
- They’re constantly asking people to repeat themselves
- They have a hard time understanding women and children’s voices
- They have a hard time understanding in a crowd
- It’s hard for them to understand on the phone
- They favor one ear over the other
- They complain of a ringing sensation in one or both ears
- They often appear uncomfortable in social occasions they used to
enjoy
- They seem withdrawn, depressed or irritable
- Other friends or family members have noticed their difficulty
hearing
While a few “yes” answers don’t automatically indicate a hearing loss,
it does suggest the need for further evaluation.
Why do
I need 2 hearing aids?
| Two ears are better than one Why do we have two
ears? Much like having two eyes helps us to see all around us, having
two ears helps us locate sound in time and space.
Balanced or binaural hearing is vital to your ability to locate
where a sound is coming from. The brain instinctively locates a
sound’s source by measuring the tiny differences in duration and
intensity in the way each ear hears the sound. |
 |
For example, when you’re crossing a street, the sound of an approaching
car reaches the closer ear a fraction of a second before the other ear,
and at a higher intensity. These differences are translated by the brain,
allowing you to recognize the sound’s direction and distance from you.
Two ears also help you to focus in on desired sounds and ignore sounds
you’re not interested in hearing. With two inputs, the brain can select a
specific sound and concentrate on it. A common example of this is the
cocktail party setting, where you may overhear your name and shift your
attention to a conversation other than the one you’re involved in. Hearing
in stereo also gives a fuller quality to sound.
For all of these reasons, we’ve evolved with two ears. That’s why, for
those with a binaural hearing loss, two hearing aids are often
recommended.
Why are hearing aids so costly?
Improving your hearing and adding to your quality of life is hard to
put a price tag on.
While it might seem odd, it’s not really what’s inside the piece of
plastic that you’re paying for—it’s how well the hearing aid improves your
quality of life. The real value is what it’s worth to be able to fully
engage in your relationships, work and the activities you enjoy.
You may also want to think about what you value most in terms of a
hearing aid’s features and benefits. How important is vanity? How
important is the latest technology? The equation of price will depend
somewhat on your priorities—and it’s different for everyone.
Hearing aids generally run from several hundred to a few thousand
dollars. Typically, costs reflect the amount of research and development
that has gone into the product as well as quality of the components, with
the smallest, most technologically advanced aids at the higher end of the
pricing spectrum. However, you can also get hearing aids that provide a
good benefit in a modest price range.
Pricing may include services, such as the testing, making of the
earmold impression, fitting of the aid and follow-up care and service. In
addition, most hearing aids come with a warranty and return guarantee.
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