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The notion that hearing loss is something for old people is a dangerous stereotype that prevents many from treating their hearing loss.
Whenever I give talks, there’s one PowerPoint slide I use that surprises people. That’s because it directly contradicts the notion that hearing loss is something for the elderly. Published by the NIDCD, this graph shows that a significant majority of people with hearing loss first noticed it between the ages of 20 and 59. Hearing Loss is for all of us, male or female, at any age.
That’s especially true for men: 64 percent. And it’s close to true for women: 50 percent. This survey was based on self-report, so we don’t know if they “developed” hearing loss at a certain age. More accurately, they first noticed it at a certain age. People are notoriously slow to recognize hearing loss. A study using audiologic metrics would probably find even higher numbers.
So, 64 percent of men with hearing loss first knew they had it between the ages of 20 and 59, and 50 percent of women did. Add those whose hearing loss was detected before the age of 20, and you’ll find that that 79 percent of men had hearing loss by age 60, as did 70 percent of women.
So why do we associate hearing loss with aging? Why is this stigma so powerful?
The elderly do develop hearing loss: But new hearing loss over the age of 60 constitutes a much smaller percentage of the total than those who knew they had a hearing problem when they were younger. Where does this age = hearing loss idea come from?
Hearing tends to decline with age, so the loss among the elderly is on average more severe than it is in younger people. This prompts people who have had untreated hearing loss for decades to finally get hearing aids.
Those we notice wearing hearing aids are usually old. Approximately 15 percent those over 80 who need hearing aids have them. That number drops to 1 in 20 for those 50 to 59, and plummets in younger groups. Fifteen percent is not a large number but it’s a whole lot larger than those wearing hearing aids who are younger than 70.
A huge majority of elderly people have hearing loss, and among them a fair number wear hearing aids. This leads to a natural association of hearing loss with aging. Look at the top graph again. The majority of those with hearing loss developed it before they turned 60.
Hearing loss isn’t just for the elderly. So let’s dispense with that stigma of age and take care of our hearing. Get hearing aids!
To see the graph showing age of onset go to my personal blog Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, Hearing Help at katherinebouton.com. You can also read more about hearing loss in my book "Shouting Won't Help".
