Jul 29, 2008 6:57 pm US/Eastern
Health Watch: Hearing Loss Getting Worse In U.S.
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
A recent study shows that as a nation, our ability to hear is getting worse every day.
The numbers come as a shock: one in three American adults already suffers from hearing loss.
This epidemic of hearing impairment is in part due to our aging population and growing use of personal listening devices.
According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, the majority of people 70 years or older had hearing loss, but about 17 percent of people in their 30s experienced loss and about 8.5 percent of people in their 20s had hearing loss.
The study, out of John's Hopkins University, also found that one in six adults had impairment serious enough to have difficulty understanding speech. The main risk factors were exposure to noise in the workplace, firearms, and loud music.
Dr. Ronald A. Hoffman, of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, suggests some possible causes of hearing losses: "Rock and roll concerts, which are extremely loud, and listening to headphones with iPods and other types of machines that are often so loud you can hear it next to them in the subway, that tells you right off the bat it's too loud."
Researchers say hearing loss can cause problems at work, depression, and less access to health care.
Prevention is the key, and know when you are doing damage is crucial.
"So if you repeatedly expose yourself to loud sound, eventually you'll end up with hearing loss. If you go to a concert, and you come out and your ears feel full, or they're ringing, the noise was too loud," says Dr. Hoffman.
Of course, hearing loss can be treated.
"Whether it be hearing aids, or newer modern implanting devices like cochlear implants, we're constantly improving these things to give people better outcomes," explains Dr. Hoffman.
Illnesses and habits can also take a toll on our hearing. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking are some of the worst offenders. A sudden change in your ability to hear can be an emergency, so seek medical care immediately.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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