A Year in Review: 2022 Statistics on Hearing Loss in the U.S.

The top three chronic physical conditions for people of any age are arthritis, heart disease, and hearing loss. 

Hearing Loss Statistics from 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) found that:

• Some range of hearing loss was reported by approximately 48 million (14%) Americans. There was a comparable number reported for people who experienced tinnitus. 
• One in 5 men and one in 8 women reported some hearing problems.
• The pervasiveness of hearing loss is two times more common than cancer or diabetes.
• The lowest report of hearing loss was in New Jersey, whereas the highest reported rate was in West Virginia. 

Older Adults: Hearing Loss Statistics 

• According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about one in three people living in the U.S. who are 65 to 74 years old have hearing loss; half of those who are over 75 experience trouble with hearing.
• Hearing loss in adults is contributed to age; of those who are 50 years of age and older, 91% have hearing loss. 
• Anyone over the age of 80 has the most amount of hearing loss.
• Men in their 50s are three times as likely of experiencing hearing loss than women in the same age group. However, as they age, the gap between rates of hearing loss among the sexes gets smaller.
• When women get older, they might find it challenging to hear lower frequencies than men. For the most part, presbycusis - or age-related hearing loss - affects the high frequencies.

Statistics on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) 

Too much exposure to loud noises is the top cause of NIHL. Nearly one in five employees is exposed to dangerous noise levels in their work environment. The CDC has found the following reports on NIHL:

• Approximately 40 million adults in the US between the ages of 20-69 experience NIHL. 
• Over 1 in 2 adults in the US with NIHL are not employed in a noisy environment. Therefore, it was probably caused by recreational activities.
• Approximately 1 in 4 adults in the US who reported excellent to good hearing, already experience hearing damage.     

Statistics on Children with Hearing Loss

• In the U.S., about 3 of 1,000 children have congenital hearing loss (they are born with it). This means that detectable hearing loss is present in one or both ears. Most children in the U.S. undergo a hearing screening for newborns. 
• 15% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 experience some range of hearing loss. Approximately 20% of teenagers do. 
• About 12.5% of children and adolescents between 6 and 19 years old, sustained permanent damage to their hearing due to overexposure to noise.
• A child with mild hearing loss can miss out on 50 percent of instructions that are given during class. 

Statistics on Veterans with Hearing Loss

U.S. veterans are at high risk of noise exposure while on the job. Services for hearing aids and hearing loss is available to them through the VA. 

• The most prevalent disability related to military service among U.S. veterans is hearing loss and/or tinnitus. 
• 2.7 million veterans are provided hearing care or disability connected to hearing loss. 
• 50% of blast injuries that veterans encounter lead to permanent hearing loss.

Statistics on Hearing Aid and Hearing Care     

What is the number of hearing aid users?

According to the 2022 MarketTrak data:

• More and more hearing aid users are happy with their hearing aids after taking an annual survey. In 2022, 83% of participants expressed satisfaction with their hearing aids.  
• The average age of a hearing aid buyer is 60.
• 90% of people who wear hearing aids express “high satisfaction” with their hearing aid providers.
• Now, the average person waits four years from the time they first noticed hearing problems to get their first hearing aid. Before it used to be six years, and before that it was 10 years. 
• There is now less stigma to wearing hearing aids. Now, people report feeling less shame or rejection. 

Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Cognitive Decline, and Balance Problems 

MarketTrak’s 2022 survey also revealed that anyone with hearing issues also has higher rates of common conditions and is more than 3.5 times more likely to have tinnitus, cognitive/memory problems, falls, and balance problems. Those who do not wear hearing aids have higher rates of depression due to isolation, which worsens based on the severity of hearing loss. When you have trouble hearing, and those with whom you communicate don’t try to adopt an easier style of communication, it drives the person with hearing loss to give up on trying to interact with people altogether.  

Studies have also shown that those with heart disease are at a higher risk of hearing loss. When your blood flow has poor circulation, oxygen can’t reach the delicate hair cells in the cochlea which damages or destroys them. Hair cells cannot regrow, so once they are destroyed it will lead to permanent hearing loss. 

For people with diabetes, hearing loss is twice as common than in those who don’t have hearing problems. 

If you or a loved one are experiencing hearing loss for any reason, please contact Pure Sound Hearing for a complimentary hearing test and consultation with one of our hearing aid providers.

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