Are you looking for some facts and statistics to finally get a family member or friend to have a hearing test or be fitted for a hearing aid? People often resist seeking help for hearing loss, but chatting with them about the causes, effects and prevalence of hearing loss can help. Listed below are some facts and statistics to help you make your case:
- Of those aged 65 and older, an average of 13% experience tinnitus – a ringing in the ears.
- More men than women experience hearing loss.
- Over the past 30 years, the number of Americans with hearing loss has approximately doubled.
- Approximately 36 million people in the United States have some sort of hearing loss, which is almost one out of every 5 people.
- One million Americans have tinnitus that is so severe it gets in the way of daily life.
- Ten million people have permanent loss of hearing due to noise, and 30 million more people are exposed to damaging levels of noise every day.
- Of the people who could benefit from using a hearing aid, just one out of five people wears one.
- High frequency hearing loss due to repeated loud noise exposure impacts about 26 million people in the US (ages 20-69). This consists of regular noise exposure from both work and leisure sources.
- Hearing loss categorization studies state that 5% of cases are severe, 30% moderate and 65% are classified as mild.
- Close to 13,000 adults and 10,000 children in the United States have cochlear implants.
- People with hearing loss wait an average of ten years before doing anything about it. Does this describe you?