In the News

Hearing Loss

• Excessive noise is the number one reason for hearing loss.
• Experts agree that continued exposure to noise of 85 dB or louder, over time, will eventually harm hearing.
• If you cannot carry on a conversation in the presence of noise, it is too loud for your ears and can potentially cause hearing loss.
• 1 in 4 workers exposed to high levels of noise will develop a hearing loss.
• The number one reason people seek a hearing solution is the recognition that their hearing has worsened. Usually this occurs from making a serious mistake, family pressure or safety concerns.
• Professions at risk of hearing loss include firefighters, police officers, factory workers, farmers, construction workers, military personnel, heavy industry workers, musicians, and entertainment industry professionals.
• The ear has over 25,000 tiny hair cells to help you hear the nuances of sound.

Hearing Loss Prevention

• Hearing loss can be prevented by using ear plugs or earmuffs when engaging in activities around excessive noise (i.e. construction, disco, shooting a gun).
• If you have pain in your ears after leaving a noisy area or you hear ringing or buzzing (tinnitus) in your ears immediately after exposure to noise consider this as a warning sign that the sounds are TOO LOUD.
• Examples of dangerously loud recreational activities which may cause hearing loss are: video arcades - (110 dB), firecrackers - (125-155 dB at a distance of 10 feet), live music concerts - (120 dB and above) , gunshots - (150-167 dB), movie theatres - (118 dB), health clubs and aerobic studios (120 dB), sporting events (127 dB), motorboats - (85-115 dB), motorcycles - (95-120 dB), snowmobiles - (99 dB) , "boom cars" - (140 dB and above).

Hearing Loss Solutions

• The vast majority of Americans (95%) with hearing loss have their hearing loss treated with hearing aids. Only 5% of hearing loss in adults can be improved through medical or surgical treatment.
• Modern directional hearing aids can now help the hard-of-hearing to hear in noisy situations.
• Amplified telephones are now available to help people with hearing loss. Auditory assistive listening devices when combined with hearing aids are much like binoculars for the ear.
• Most public places (i.e. movie, place of worship, government building, schools) are required under the American with Disabilities Act to provide assistive listening devices for the hard-of-hearing.
• Nearly 90% of hearing aids are digital.
• Telecoils in hearing aids improve the ability to hear in public places and on the telephone.
• 75% of people with hearing loss in both ears use two (binaural) hearing aids.
• One of the key determinants of success with hearing aids are realistic expectations.
• Successful treatment of hearing loss with hearing aids is associated with greater earning power.
• Treatment of hearing loss will improve interpersonal relationships.
• Hard-of-hearing people are less likely to be discriminated against if they use hearing aids.
• The use of hearing aids is associated with reductions in anger, frustration, paranoia, anxiety and overall improvements in emotional stability.
• Most people who use hearing aids have improved social lives.
• The use of hearing aids is associated with improved perceptions of the hard-of-hearing’s mental ability.
• People who use hearing aids report better health than hard-of-hearing people who do not use hearing aids.
• 9 out of 10 hearing aid users report improvements in their quality of life.
• Customer satisfaction with directional hearing aids is 81%.
• A wax protection system on hearing aids reduces hearing aid repairs by 50%.
• Consumers report a 92% satisfaction with hearing healthcare professionals.
• One of the best ways to get a loved one to seek help for their hearing loss is to stop being their hearing helper!
• Only 13% of physicians screen for hearing loss. Ask your doctor for a hearing screening since it is not a routine part of physical exams.
• The majority of people with nerve deafness are helped with hearing aids.
• A large number of people with Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can be helped with masking devices worn like hearing aids.
• Even people born deaf can learn to hear with cochlear implants.

Prevalence of Hearing Loss & Demographics

• 1 out of 10 Americans have a hearing loss --- that’s more than 31,000,000 people.
• 3 out of 1000 children are born with hearing loss.
• 1.4 million children have hearing loss.
• 15% of “baby-boomers” (ages 45-64) have hearing loss.
• 29% of people over age 65 have hearing loss.
• The majority (65%) of people with hearing loss are below retirement age.
• The majority (60%) of people with hearing loss are males.