Hearing Loss Facts

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• Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health condition in the United States, affecting 1 of every 10 people.
• Hearing loss is the most common birth defect, affecting more that 3 in every 1000 born in the United States each year.
• There are three basic types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural, and mixed.  Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through either the outer ear and/or middle ear cavities.  Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlear) or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain (retrocochlear).  Mixed hearing loss is a conductive hearing loss in combination with a sensorineural hearing loss, indicating that hearing loss may occur in the outer, middle, and inner ear cavities.
• Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss
  • For Adults
    • often complains that people are mumbling, or that speech is unclear
    • difficulty understanding in noisy situations
    • frequently asks people repeat what they said
    • others say you have the television or radio too loud
  • For Children
    • he/she responds inconsistently to sounds
    • language and speech development are delayed
    • child often says "Huh?" or "What?"
    • child does not respond when called
    • difficulty following directions
• Children who have a hearing loss may find it more difficult than children with hearing within normal limits to learn vocabulary, grammar, word order, idiomatic expressions, and other aspects of verbal communication.
• The earlier hearing loss occurs in the child's life, the more serious the effects the hearing loss may cause on the child's development.  However, early identification and intervention will lessen the impact the hearing loss has on normal speech and language development.
• Noise induced hearing loss is a permanent hearing impairment resulting from prolonged exposure to high levels of noise.  It is important to practice hearing conservation by using hearing protection to prevent noise induced hearing loss.  Hearing protection includes ear plugs and earmuffs that are designed to reduce the intensity or loudness of sound.
• An audiologist is a licensed health care professional who promotes healthy hearing, communication competency, and quality of life for all persons of all ages through the prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of hearing loss.  Audiologists also help in the identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of disorders of auditory function and balance.