Approximately one in four Americans under age 70 has undiagnosed hearing loss, which has been linked to anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, worsening of heart disease, high blood pressure and other adverse conditions.
The Centers for Disease Control recently released its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and accompanying Vital Signs report, which detail findings of 3,500 hearing tests on individuals between the ages of 20 and 69.
Twenty percent of the participants had hearing loss typically resulting from noise -- indicated in the inability to hear high-pitched sounds – but had reported no occupational exposure to noise.
"Forty million Americans show some hearing damage from loud noise, with nearly 21 million reporting no exposure to loud noise at work,” CDC Acting Director Anne Schuchat said. “This can be distressing for people affected and their loved ones. We hope this report will help raise awareness of this problem and help clinicians reduce their patients' risk for early hearing loss."
The diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss was found to not only increase with age but also to be more prevalent among men and patients over 40.
"Older people are more likely to have hearing loss, but this study finds some young adults are already losing some hearing, so this is a concern for all age groups,” Schuchat said. “Asking patients about their hearing, and providing tips for reducing exposure to loud noises, can help our patients preserve their hearing longer."
