The Facts About Hearing Loss
Hearing loss facts to inspire understanding + action
Hearing loss affects 48 million people in the United States. Hearing loss can occur at birth or can develop at any age. There have been many advances in all aspects of hearing health care so that from the youngest infant to the eldest senior citizen, there are new and exciting options available to help.
Treatment options vary depending on the degree or type of hearing loss, age of onset and individual lifestyle needs. If you suspect that you or a family member has a hearing loss, the best place to start is with a hearing evaluation by a licensed audiologist.
Hearing loss facts: Adults
Hearing loss facts: Children
Hearing loss facts: Noise exposure
Hearing loss facts: Treatment
-
Hearing aids can offer dramatic improvement for most people with hearing loss
-
People with hearing loss wait an average of 7 years before seeking help
-
15 million people in the United States with hearing loss avoid seeking help
-
Only 16% of physicians routinely screen for hearing loss
-
Speechreading is the more current word for lipreading
Types of hearing loss
Learn more + take action
Elsewhere on our website, you can access more information on topics related to hearing loss in seniors, hearing loss in children, noise-induced hearing loss, hearing protection, hearing testing, and treatment.
If you live in the New York or Ft. Lauderdale area, visit the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) for all your hearing health care needs – including a free hearing screening, hearing aid consultation, custom hearing protection, and more. Use the buttons below if you'd like to make an appointment
Do you have a question and want to ask an expert? CHC can help
If you'd like to make an appointment to see or speak with someone please choose a location.
-
May be damage to the cochlea (inner ear), auditory nerve, or the auditory centers of the brain
-
Individuals may benefit from a hearing aid, cochlear implant, communication therapies, other medical management depending on the degree of the loss or the cause of the loss
-
Indicates that there is a problem with the mechanism that conducts sound from the environment to the inner ear
-
Problems in the external auditory canal (outer ear), eardrum, or the bones of hearing (the middle ear) may cause a conductive loss
-
Can often be corrected by medication or surgery
-
If it cannot be corrected, the individual can usually do very well with a hearing aid