Types of Hearing Loss
There are three main types of hearing loss you should know about:
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Conductive Hearing Loss
Caused by a problem in the outer or middle ear including ear wax buildup, ear infection, damage to the eardrum or damage to the three tiny bones in the middle ear. Some types of conductive hearing loss are permanent but many are treatable, including medical intervention.
Mixed Hearing Loss
Mixed hearing loss is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.
Symptoms of Hearing Loss
There are a number of warning signs. Are you experiencing any of the following?
- Complaints of muffled hearing
- Reduced ability to distinguish certain words in speech, i.e. “sat”, “fat” and “hat”
- Need for greater volume when listening to radio or TV
- Difficulty hearing or understanding in places with noise, such as restaurants, ball games, family gatherings or parties
Causes of hearing loss
Over 40 million people, or 1 in 7 have hearing loss in at least one ear.
It can be caused by a number of different factors:
- Natural part of the aging process
- Exposure to excessive noise
- Hereditary conditions
- Injuries to the ear or headInfections and reactions to medicines or treatments
Consequences of untreated hearing loss
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hearing loss is the Third Most Common Chronic Health Condition facing adults today. It’s also highly treatable and can be managed over time.
If ignored though, hearing loss can lead to:
- Cognitive Decline
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Risk of Trips & Falls
Hearing loss statistics
The average delay between the time someone is affected by hearing loss and when they finally seek treatment is 7 years.
Untreated hearing loss is associated with lower quality of life, depression, social isolation, unemployment and lower earnings at work, higher medical bills for other health issues, high blood pressure and even a higher risk of dangerous trips and falls.
- Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing.
- About 2-3 of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable hearing loss in one or both ears.
- Men are almost twice as likely as women to have hearing loss among adults aged 20-69 years.
- About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids.
- Only about 1 in 5 people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually use one.
- Approximately 1.1 billion young people (aged between 12–35 years) are at risk of hearing loss due to exposure to noise in recreational settings.
- Noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by exposure to loud noises over time or a single exposure to an extremely loud sound.
- For every 10 decibels of hearing loss, the risk of social isolation increases by 52%.
- Hearing loss has been associated with depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline.
- Average years people wait before getting treated? 7 years