Sound Knowledge
Hearing Loss Demographics

Hearing loss is more common than you might imagine. In fact, hearing loss is occurring at a younger age mainly due to the effects of increased noise exposure. It's a noisy world out there. Noise levels have increased everywhere. From hair dryers to leaf blowers, lawnmowers, motorcycles, iPods®, freeway traffic, surround sound speakers and more, we constantly expose our ears to damaging levels of noise.

And that's just at home. Our work environments are becoming increasingly loud as well. Some of the noisiest workplaces are those where firefighters, factory workers, farmers, teachers, construction workers and musicians spend a significant part of their day.

• 28 million Americans have a hearing loss.
  
• In the U.S., 1 in 12 30-year-olds already has a hearing loss.
  
• After President Bill Clinton was fitted for hearing aids, more than 1 million other baby boomers identified themselves as experiencing hearing loss.
  
• More than a third of all hearing loss is attributed to noise.