Is hearing loss connected mainly to old-age?
Hearing loss is a concern that is mostly considered to be one that only effects the old age, as though hearing loss is one of the many wonderful struggles we all have to look forward to as we grow older. We have long been paraded by the archetypical old man with a listening horn, grumpily asking ’what!’ to every sound that comes his way, but is this image a fair one. The brutal truth is that hearing loss effects far more people than just the elderly, and here are the reasons why.
The John Hopkins School of Medicine released a series of stats that were the result of rigorous studies into who is most effected by hearing loss in November of 2011, and the results were somewhat surprising.
20% is not just the elderly
They found that some 20 percent of all Americans report a certain degree of hearing loss. This number comes close to around 48 million people of all ages, a number which cannot possibly represent just the elderly. In fact hearing loss is considered to be the third most common health issue facing the public after arthritis and heart disease.
This shows that gradual hearing loss can affect people of all ages. The severity of the disability can range from very mild and almost unnoticeable to extremely severe, regardless of your age. This of course doesn’t even include congenital hearing loss which affects the patient even before birth.
Interestingly enough, 60% of everyone affected by hearing loss work in a noisy environment or an education setting. This brings forward the correlation between persistently noisy environments and hearing loss… so keep on enjoying those headphones on full volume if you want to put this to the test. But a word of warning, it may lead to the need for an ear doctor later in life (and not necessarily when you are old.)
Men and women of all ages
By the age of 65, around one in three people will suffer from some degree of hearing loss. This is no surprise, but that doesn’t mean that the elderly are the most affected.
Around 3 out of every 1000 children suffer from hearing loss in a range of severities, from complete deafness to slightly hard of hearing. Sadly, these conditions are often mistaken for ’not paying attention’ or general confusion.
It is estimated that around 30 out of each 1000 school children suffer from hearing loss. This figure is an estimate however, since hearing loss can only be diagnosed by its effects, which in the case of children are often mistaken for poor behavior.
So if you or a loved one would like assistance with your hearing, or are looking for hearing loss treatment that will bring results, contact Candice Van Heerden Audiology today for more information.