48 million Americans have SOME TYPE of hearing loss
12/18/18 08:43 PM
More than 48 million Americans have some type of hearing loss that seriously disrupts their lives. “That includes 1 in 6 baby boomers and two-thirds of those over 70,” says Frank Lin, M.D., associate professor of otolaryngology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University. Experts expect that number to rise along with the gray tsunami of aging boomers.
AARP reports: More than 48 million Americans have some type of hearing loss that seriously disrupts their lives. “That includes 1 in 6 baby boomers and two-thirds of those over 70,” says Frank Lin, M.D., associate professor of otolaryngology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University. Experts expect that number to rise along with the gray tsunami of aging boomers. There are two main types of hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss develops when something — congestion from a bad cold, an ear infection, a perforated eardrum — blocks sound signals from reaching the inner ear. Sometimes only one ear is affected. Hearing usually returns to normal after the problem is treated. Far more serious is sensorineural hearing loss, which involves damage in the inner ear. It can be triggered by loud noise as well as aging. Many people gradually lose some hearing as they get older.