Sound Knowledge
Hearing Loss Facts

Below are some important facts about hearing loss:

• Hearing loss is the second most common complaint among older adults after arthritis.
  
• 90% of hearing loss cases can be treated successfully with the use of hearing instruments, while the remaining 10% can be helped by surgery or other medical treatment.
• Noise above 80-90 decibels on average over an 8-hour workday is considered hazardous.
  
• Physicians seldom screen for hearing loss.
  
• 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 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.