On World Hearing Day, March 3, Oticon, Inc. aims to raise awareness of the positive difference hearing aids can make in the lives of people with hearing loss.
Hearing loss is the third most commonly reported chronic health condition in the U.S., affecting an estimated 40 million Americans. It is also the most common workplace injury. A recently released CDC report estimates that 2.5 healthy years are lost annually per every 1,000 workers due to hearing loss.
Exposure to noise at home or in the community – from using a leaf blower to attending loud sporting events – can also damage a person’s hearing just as much as a noisy workplace. A recent CDC report¹ indicates that more than 1 in 2 U.S. adults with hearing damage from noise do not have noisy jobs. Likely culprits include exposure to hair dryers, leaf blowers and other noisy equipment, along with environmental factors such as traffic, loud concerts and cranked-up earphones.
While older adults are more likely to experience hearing loss, the report shows that younger people are already beginning to experience some hearing difficulties.
More troubling is the fact that noise is damaging hearing before anyone notices or diagnoses it. In the CDC report, nearly one in four adults, ages 20 to 69, who indicated that they have good to excellent hearing already have some hearing loss. “Under-recognized” and thus, untreated hearing loss can have a negative impact on quality of life. Untreated hearing loss is associated with anxiety, depression, loneliness and cognitive decline. The latest research shows that hearing aids are a prevention against accelerated cognitive decline in later years.²
On World Hearing Day and throughout the year, Oticon is committed to promoting "Hearing Care is Health Care™" — a powerful reminder to make a hearing check part of regular physical exams. For those who already suspect that hearing loss may be affecting their day-to-day activities, Oticon recommends scheduling a more thorough hearing evaluation, and if there is a need, to work with a hearing care professional to select and trial a hearing solution.
For more information about Oticon, hearing health and Oticon hearing solutions, visit www.Oticon.com.
¹ https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/HearingLoss
² Amieva et al. 2015. Self-Reported Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Adults: A 25-Year Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Volume 63, Issue 10; 2099–2104.