Uncorrected Hearing Loss can have a more negative impact on the quality of life then obesity, diabetes, strokes or even cancer. Yet according to an AARP survey, more people report having gotten colonoscopies than hearing tests.
Hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of dementia, falls and depression. It is also a serious contributing factor to social isolation and loneliness and has been linked to poorer job performance and lower salaries, as well.
Why are people so reluctant to get their hearing checked or to treat hearing disorders? Because unlike many serious and potentially fatal ailments, hearing loss carries with it the stigma of being old. It’s true that hearing diminishes with age. Nearly 30 percent of people in their 50s suffer from hearing loss. For people in their 60s, it’s 45 percent. And for those in their 70s, more than two-thirds have a significant hearing loss.
But it doesn’t only affect older people. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss. And that number is increasing. Boomers had their rock concerts, and millennials have their earbuds. So the impact of hearing damage will likely grow.
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