In the US today, 48 million people have hearing loss, but by 2060, the number will grow to 73 million. The three causes of hearing loss are
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Conductive hearing loss—caused by problems that block sound from reaching the inner ear
- Congenital hearing loss
We'll go into more detail about the causes, but before we do, let's explore the relationship of hearing loss with age, gender, and race in the US.
Overall, how common is hearing loss in the US?
Age is a massive driver of hearing loss. For example, only about 2 out of 1,000 infants have a detectable hearing loss. At the other end of the age scale, roughly 1 of every 2 people over 75 experience disabling hearing loss.
US statistics for infants and children
- Newborns — 1.7 of every 1,000 babies screened for hearing loss at birth have a measurable amount of hearing loss.
- Children aged 3–17 years — 5 per 1,000 have hearing loss as reported by their parents.
- For eight-year-olds, a study done in Atlanta found 1.4 per 1,000 (.14%) had profound hearing loss in one or both ears (more than 40 decibels).
US statistics for adult hearing loss
- Over age 12 — 1 in 8 have hearing loss in one or both ears as identified by a standard hearing test.
- Over age 18 — 37.5 million people report hearing loss.
- Age 65–74 — About 1 in 4 (25%) have disabling hearing loss.
- Over age 75 — Approximately 50% of adults have disabling hearing loss.
Hearing loss by race and ethnicity
Hearing loss occurs in all races and ethnic groups in the US but not evenly distributed. If you are a non-Hispanic White adult, you're more likely to be diagnosed with hearing loss than if you belong to another ethnic group. Non-Hispanic Black adults follow non-Hispanic White males, then Hispanic adults, with Asian adults having the lowest rate of hearing loss.
What about hearing loss by age and gender?
As you know, your chance of developing hearing loss increases with age. The rate of the increase goes like this:
- Adults aged 18–44 — 63 out of 1,000 (6%) have difficulty hearing
- Adults aged 45–641 — 136 out of 1,000 (13.6%) have difficulty hearing
- Adults over age 65 — 268 out of 1,000 (26.8%) have difficulty hearing
For adults aged 20 to 69, men are almost twice as likely to have hearing loss compared to women.
What causes hearing loss?
In more detail, let's examine the three causes of hearing loss—conductive, sensorineural, and congenital.
Causes of conductive hearing loss
When you have conductive hearing loss, sound is blocked from reaching the inner ear by:
- Fluid in the ear
- Earwax
- Ear infections, including swimmer's ear and middle ear infections
- Benign (noncancerous) tumors in the ear
- Ear deformities
Causes of sensorineural hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss is a problem in the inner ear caused by
- Noise-induced hearing loss
- Age-related hearing loss
- Injuries
- Infectious diseases including measles and mumps
- Medications that are toxic to the ear (ototoxic drugs)
Causes of congenital hearing loss
Present at birth, congenital hearing loss is caused by:
- Infections during pregnancy
- Genetics
- Injuries during birth
- Drug or alcohol use while pregnant
- Gestational diabetes (high blood sugar while pregnant that was not present before pregnancy)
- Preeclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in the urine while pregnant)
- Oxygen deprivation
- Premature birth and low birth weight
Now it's your turn
Schedule a free, 15-minute hearing screening performed by an audiologist to learn about the status of your hearing. If you have hearing loss, your audiologist will explain
- How much hearing you've lost
- Whether your hearing needs treating now or later
- The most effective treatment plan
Crest Hill: 630-633-5060 | Palos Hills: 708-599-9500
