U.S. Hearing Loss On The Rise
Posted on: Tuesday, 29 July 2008, 13:20 CDT
A recent study found that one in three U.S. adults already show signs of early hearing loss.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore noted that the increase in use of personal stereos and an aging population may amount to a hearing impairment epidemic.
They estimated that 55 million Americans have hearing loss in one or both ears, with men, whites and the least-educated most affected.
In the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers noted that 29 million, or one out of six, adults have some trouble discerning speech.
"The prevalence of hearing loss in the United States is predicted to rise significantly because of an aging population and the growing use of personal listening devices. Indeed, there is concern that we may be facing an epidemic of hearing impairment," Dr. Yuri Agrawal of the Baltimore hospital wrote.
It is common for people to ignore or disavow hearing loss, the researchers said, leading to difficulty communicating that can result in productivity problems at work, depression, and less access to health care that ultimately raises the risk of sickness and death.
Hearing loss is common among people 70 and older, according to the report. But hearing loss also affected 8.5 percent of those in their 20s and 17 percent of people in their 30s.
Researchers noted that exposure to workplace noise, firearms, and loud music were all risk factors.
They studied health information from 5,700 Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 years between 1999 and 2004 in the federal National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Agrawal and colleagues found men were twice as likely as women (21 percent versus 11 percent) to have speech-frequency hearing loss in one or both ears.
Whites were more than twice as prone to hearing loss than blacks, and those with less education were more at risk than those who completed high school or beyond.
Smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes all accounted for increased chances of hearing loss.
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Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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