Today we recognize World Hearing Day! While this day may not be celebrated with fireworks like the Fourth of July, presents on Christmas, or even chocolates on Valentine’s Day, it is a reminder of something much more important – good hearing health.
Around the world, approximately 466 million people have hearing loss. At 5% of the world’s population, that is a staggering number and one expected to soar to over 900 million people by 2050. Hearing loss occurs as a result of aging, exposure to loud noise, genetics, injury and exposure to some drugs. More than 50% of people 75 years of age and older experience hearing loss. However, hearing loss knows no age boundary, since one in five teenagers in the U.S. already has hearing difficulty.
We recently conducted a survey of 1,000 adults on hearing health and found that while people view hearing loss as a serious condition, nearly a quarter of the respondents said they never had a hearing test. Did you know that even mild hearing loss doubles the risk of dementia and moderate loss triples the risk of dementia? And those with severe hearing loss are five times more likely to develop dementia. If that doesn’t get your attention, research shows that people with hearing loss have 50% more accidental injuries, are more likely to be re-hospitalized, and have higher rates of depression and isolation.
Now are you ready to seize the day and get your hearing checked? I invite you to visit our website www.betterhearing.org to learn more about healthy hearing. Here you can find resources to help you check your hearing and explore the incredible hearing aid technologies available today. And if you know a teen who might turn the volume up a bit too high, share this video.
Join us in raising awareness of hearing loss and prevention on World Hearing Day!
The Hearing Industries Association is the trusted voice on hearing health care for product innovation, public policy, patient safety and education.
