Monica Walker
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Recent statistics show that hearing loss affects approximately 48 million Americans. While hearing challenges are more common among aging adults, people of all ages can experience hearing loss and its negative effects on their mental and physical health, relationships, and overall quality of life.
However, the good news is that many cases of hearing challenges are preventable.
Age, genetics, and your overall health can contribute to hearing loss , and there are lifestyle choices, social activities, vocations, and hobbies that put you at greater risk of developing hearing challenges. However, by understanding those risks and taking steps to protect your hearing against damage, you can continue to enjoy better hearing well into later life.
Whether you’re born with hearing loss (congenital), or it is acquired, promoting better hearing health at all ages can make a big difference.
Hearing Loss Affects All Ages
Before getting into how to prevent hearing loss, we want to share a few basic statistics to drive home the fact that hearing loss affects individuals of all ages.
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), more than 6,000 infants were reported to have been born in 2020 with hearing loss in one or both ears.
In addition, a study published in the American Journal of Public Health states that of the individuals in the US with hearing loss who are over the age of 12, 25.4 million have mild hearing loss, 10.7 million have moderate hearing loss, 1.8 million have severe hearing loss, and 400,000 have profound hearing loss.
Afflicting 15 percent of the total US population, hearing loss is the third most common health condition affecting the quality of life of Americans, beating out both cancer and diabetes. Hearing loss can be either congenital or acquired.
Preventing Congenital Hearing Loss
Congenital hearing loss develops before birth, which means the child inherits a hearing deficiency or it is developed from prenatal exposure to an infection or toxin.
About 25 percent of newborns experience hearing loss from an unknown cause, while another 25 to 30 percent have hearing loss linked to maternal infections during pregnancy or complications during birth.
Fifty percent or more newborns experience hearing loss due to genetic causes, which includes babies that have family members with hearing loss and infants diagnosed with Alport syndrome, Stickler syndrome, and other syndromes.
Up to 25 percent of congenital hearing loss cases could be prevented through a healthy prenatal lifestyle and improved prenatal care.
Preventing Acquired Hearing Loss
In contrast to congenital hearing loss, acquired hearing loss develops after birth. Acquired hearing loss takes on various forms and can come from a variety of causes.
Proactive Hearing Loss Prevention
Hearing loss prevention means taking a proactive approach to your hearing health. This should include adding regular hearing exams to your list of checkups. If your tests show that you already have some hearing loss, you can begin taking action to prevent it from getting worse; if not, your hearing test helps establish a baseline against which future changes can be measured.
During a comprehensive hearing assessment, your audiologist will not only test your hearing, but also be able to identify areas where you are at risk of developing hearing loss and help you prevent it.
Learn more about hearing assessments and hearing loss prevention by contacting us using the adjacent form.
