Hearing loss currently
affects more than 31 million Americans, and is the most prevalent
disability in the world. Hearing loss strikes regardless of
age, race or gender, and without proper treatment and support,
hearing loss can be devastating to individuals and families.
Think you know about hearing loss? Below are some statistics
that you may find surprising.
- According to the National Institutes of Health, more than
12,000 children are born with hearing loss each year.
- By the year 2030, it is estimated that 78 million Americans
will have some degree of hearing loss.
- By age 55, 25% of people will have some degree of hearing
loss, and nearly 90% of people over the age of 80 have hearing
loss.
- Individuals with hearing loss have a higher incidence
of unemployment, depression, anxiety disorders and stress-related
illnesses.
- Hearing loss often develops very slowly over time and
as a result many people don’t recognize that they
have a hearing loss until it is already severe and significantly
impacting their day-to-day life.
- As of 2005, approximately 100,000 people worldwide have
received cochlear implants.
- Age-related and noise-induced hearing loss generally
affects one’s ability to hear higher frequencies.
The higher speech frequencies are responsible for helping
us to understand words clearly.
- An IPod or MP3 music player turned more than half way
up can create dangerous volume levels that can result in
permanent hearing loss over time.
- Unidentified hearing loss can often be mistaken as Attention-Deficit
Disorder, behavioral problems, rudeness, inattentiveness
or dementia.
- 90% of infants who are born deaf are born to hearing
parents.
- Of those people who could significantly benefit from
hearing aids, less than 25% actually have them.
To learn more about hearing loss, visit the links below:
• Read and Download
Information Articles about Hearing Loss
• Basic Hearing/Hearing Loss Questions
• Financial Assistance Resources
• Scholarship Resources
• Links to Other Hearing Loss Resources
• Explanation of Current Technology
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