Hearing loss is more common than you might think, affecting approximately 1 in 8 Americans*. If you have hearing loss, you’re not alone.
- Approximately 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss.
- 25% of those aged 65 to 74 have disabling hearing loss.
- 50% of those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.
- Among adults aged 20 to 69, men are almost twice as likely as women to have hearing loss.
- Hearing issues are the most common service-connected disability among American veterans.
*National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Hearing Loss Often Goes Untreated
- People with hearing loss wait an average of 7 years before seeking help.
- 80% of people with hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids, but only 1 in 4 of those individuals use them.
- People with untreated hearing loss earned on average $20,000 less annually than those who used hearing aids or other treatment.
- The risk of dementia may be up to five times greater, and the risk of falling three times greater, among people with untreated hearing loss.
Tinnitus Is Extremely Common, Too
- An estimated 50 million Americans experience tinnitus (persistent ringing, buzzing or roaring in one or both ears).
- 90% of those with tinnitus also have some type of hearing loss.
- Roughly 10% of the U.S. adult population, or about 25 million Americans, has experienced tinnitus lasting at least five minutes in the past year.
The Problem of Noise and Hearing Loss
- About 25% of all workers have been exposed to hazardous noise, with 14% (22 million) exposed in the last year.
- 53% of noise-exposed workers report not wearing hearing protection.
- Nearly 50% of persons aged 12 to 35 years could be exposed to unsafe noise from personal listening devices, and 40% in this age group could be exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues.
Facts and statistics based on research by the following organizations:
