According to the latest WHO report, more than 1 billion people aged 12 to 35 are at risk of hearing loss. The reason is that most adolescents and young adults excessively use audio devices with harmful sound levels. This growing health care concern has become the third most common chronic condition in the US that must be addressed to safeguard future generations.
Here are the current hearing loss statistics issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the new standard they proposed to deal with this issue!
Statistics on Hearing Loss
Worldwide, around 5% of the population (430 million) needs rehabilitation for their ‘disabling’ hearing loss, which is expected to grow to 700 million people by 2050. Most events and entertainment platforms contribute to this growing risk of hearing loss as they do not offer safe listening.
Therefore, WHO has published a new standard on World Hearing Day 2022 requiring entertainment venues and amplified music sites to ensure safe listening to offer young people protection from harmful sounds.
This Global Standard for Safe Listening by WHO has six recommendations: the maximum sound levels allowed, their constant monitoring and recording, room acoustic and sound system optimization for safe listening and better sound quality, personal hearing protection provision at such venues, access to calm areas to reduce the hearing damage risk, and the workers’ training.
Currently, in America alone, around 21.52% of the population lives with hearing loss (217 million people.) And this number is expected to increase by 2022. In addition, 15% of people of age 18 and older (37.5 million) have difficulty hearing which makes hearing loss the third most common chronic condition in the US for adults ages 65 to 74. Among adults aged 20-69, men are twice as likely to develop hearing loss as women.
If safe listening standards are adopted and followed, hearing loss in young adults can be significantly avoided. Considering these figures, additional measures must be taken globally, and safe listening standards should be embraced to scale up hearing care.
Hearing Aid Usage Statistics
Hearing aids can treat 80% of hearing aid cases, and almost 28.8 million US adults can benefit from them. However, only one in four people with hearing loss could actually use them.
These figures are estimated based on the current usage of hearing aids in the US. Among the US individuals aged 20-69 who can actually benefit from hearing aids, only 16% have ever tried them, and 30% of people aged 70+ with hearing loss have ever worn them. The majority of the people leave it untreated and wait for at least seven years before seeking help, which adds up to an annual cost of US$ 980 billion annually, according to WHO.
On the other hand, the use of hearing aids can alleviate the symptoms of depression and reduce the risk of dementia up to five times among older adults with hearing loss. They show improved quality of life and three times reduced risk of falling.
These hearing loss statistics are eye-opening and require immediate measures. Awareness of accessible and innovative hearing health care and hearing aids is the most crucial factor. Victoria Hearing Center has been contributing to hearing healthcare for over 40 years by providing quality hearing aids and hearing care to the residents of Victoria and the surrounding communities.
With the best audiologists, hearing aid assistants, and specialized staff, we are committed to providing the best hearing solution to individuals to enjoy optimal hearing. So, if you’re looking for the best hearing aid technology from the top manufacturer or treatment, call us at (361) 573-4832 or visit our website.
