Jan 3, 2017

Dr. Ana

Anzola, CCC-A, FAAA, ABA Principal

CDC Says 24% of Adults Have Hearing Loss And Most Don't Even Know It

CDC Says 24% of Adults Have Hearing Loss And Most Don't Even Know It


The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) ​reports that 24% of American adults have hearing loss due to noise. Excessive noise exposure is damaging the hearing of nearly 1 in 4 adults before it is detected or diagnosed, and therefore goes unrecognized and untreated.

Untreated hearing loss can lead to depression, social isolation, anxiety, and early onset of dementia.

Most Reported Good Hearing

Even though the majority of the individuals suffering from hearing loss reported having good or excellent hearing, a quarter of Americans ages 20 to 69 suffer from deficits or deterioration in the ability to hear soft sounds due to excessive exposure to loud sounds.

Most Reported No Excessive Exposure

A more surprising finding in this study was that 53% of those people reported no regular exposure to excessive noise, which means the hearing loss may be caused by environmental factors where people don’t recognize the dangers, such as listening to music through headphones with the volume too high.

Damage Caused By Excessive Volume and Length of Exposure

The federal government has no regulation on exposure to noise outside the workplace, but the EPA recommends limiting exposure to no more than eight hours of intermittent noise at 75 decibels (dB). Hearing damage can result from the combination of excessive volume and length of exposure.

The use of noise protection earplugs during exposure to loud noise is recommended.

Physicians Urged to Monitor Hearing

The CDC urges primary care physicians to routinely ask patients about their hearing status and noise exposure, and to recommend hearing evaluations to monitor any deficits and mitigate further deterioration.


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Looking for trusted, local support? Our specialists at Hearing Doctors in Washington are here to help. Fill out the form to connect with our team and take the next step toward better hearing health!

Get Expert Care in Washington

Looking for trusted, local support? Our specialists at Hearing Doctors in Washington are here to help. Fill out the form to connect with our team and take the next step toward better hearing health!

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Request a Callback

If you have a question, a concern, or would like a second opinion, our team is here to help. Simply complete the form and a member of our team will call you shortly for a friendly, no-obligation conversation.

Alternatively, you can book an appointment online today.

McLean, VA

Cascades, VA

Falls Church, VA

Fairfax, VA

Rockville, MD

Request a Callback

If you have a question, a concern, or would like a second opinion, our team is here to help. Simply complete the form and a member of our team will call you shortly for a friendly, no-obligation conversation.

Alternatively, you can book an appointment online today.

McLean, VA

Cascades, VA

Falls Church, VA

Fairfax, VA

Rockville, MD