According to a new study, the number of Americans with hearing loss aged 20 or older will double before 2060.
Apparently, the main factors contributing to the increased rate of hearing loss are higher health care costs, the poorer physical functioning of the ear, and accelerated cognitive decline. Researchers quote the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) calling for the improvement of audiological health care and hearing aids to deal with the projection.
Hearing loss is often ignored albeit common
The study reveals that two out of every three adults older than 70 have a clinically meaningful hearing loss. To determine future projections of the condition, the team from Johns Hopkins University took estimates of U.S. population to predict how many adults would lose their hearing in the next 43 years.
Using audiometric data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the estimates were applied to a 10-year population estimate from 2020 to 2060.
The results showed that the number of adults older than 20 experiencing hearing loss would increase from 44.11 million to 73.50 million, the rate being more severe for older adults.
55.4 of all adults older than 70 will suffer from the condition by 2020, increasing to 67.4 percent in 2060. In essence, the number of people with hearing loss in the U.S. is expected to outpace the population growth rate.
55.4 of all adults older than 70 will suffer from the condition by 2020, increasing to 67.4 percent in 2060. In essence, the number of people with hearing loss in the U.S. is expected to outpace the population growth rate.
“We already know that hearing loss affects a lot of people. What we didn’t know is how that was going to pan out in the coming years. That group (of older adults) is getting bigger, so hearing loss is going to affect more people. Ideally, we can focus on strategies for preventing hearing loss, research focused into affordable intervention and access to hearing healthcare services,” stated lead researcher Adele Goman to New York Daily News.
Types of hearing loss, prevention, and treatment
Apparently, the most common cause of hearing loss is exposure to loud noises, including music, and work-related scenarios. Also, hearing loss in older adults is associated with depression, mental decline, anxiety, and higher rates of hospitalization and falls.
Researchers suggest that people aged 55 or older should get a hearing test regularly, as they should not take the condition for granted. They explain that hearing loss is almost always preventable and treatable.
There are three types of hearing loss, these being conductive, sensorineural, and mixed hearing loss. The first refers to when the ear canal, the eardrum, or the middle ear and its bones are affected. Sensorineural hearing loss, or SNHL, is related to nerve function. Finally, mixed hearing loss refers to a mix of the other two.
Each type and cause of hearing loss are treatable in a different way. For example, SNHL can be resulting from acoustic trauma, and it can be treated using corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and improve healing of the damaged structures.
Changes in air pressure can also cause SNHL, which can cause inner ear fluid leakage, which is toxic to the inner structures of the ear. In this case, emergency surgery is the most reliable treatment.
Source: CBS