Hearing loss is a health concern many Americans young and old can relate to. Whether it’s severe hearing loss due to age or encroaching hearing concerns due to certain lifestyles, more and more people are seeking out hearing professionals to help them maintain their health to the best of their ability. Hearing aids are but one of a few resources that can be tapped into when hearing loss has reached a critical point, allowing people to retain their ability and live their life to the fullest. To maintain hearing aids requires basic knowledge of usage, maintenance and healthy lifestyle tips to keep further hearing loss at bay. Continue reading below if you or someone you know has considered applying for a pair.

How Common Is Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss is an incredibly common occurrence and, thanks to modern technology, has only gotten more so. Listen to a lot of loud music? You’re not the only one. Studies have shown one out of three people over the age of 65 has some form of hearing loss. Unfortunately, as many as 15 million people in the United States with a noticeable degree of hearing loss will avoid seeking help. Those that make the plunge will still wait an average of 7 years before seeking out professional assistance.

What Causes Hearing Loss?

There are multiple factors that contribute to minor to severe hearing loss. In fact, you may already know a few. Proximity to loud noises, regularly exposing one’s self to loud music, genetic disposition and age are the most common elements. It’s estimated one in five American adults struggles with hearing loss, with a similar one in five teenagers going through the same. Tinnitus is one of the most common results brought on by repeated exposure to loud noises.

What Is Tinnitus?

A common complaint brought to the desk of many hearing professionals is that of tinnitus. Also known as a ringing in the ears or ringing ears, this condition affects as many as 50 million people in the United States as we speak. Even mild hearing loss can cause a child to miss as much as 50% of what’s going on in the classroom or social events. The NIDCD has estimated 15% of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 have high frequency hearing loss caused by exposure to noise either at work or during leisure activities, such as concerts or conventions. A tinnitus hearing test can determine if you have this condition.

What About Profound Hearing Loss?

There are different degrees of hearing loss. No one person lives the same life, after all. Some have minor tinnitus while others have significant hearing loss brought on by age. Profound hearing loss is when an individual is unable to hear at all, sometimes brought on by genetics and other times by proximity to an extremely loud noise (such as an explosion). Two to three out of every 1,000 American children are born with a noticeable level of hearing loss in either one or two ears. The lifetime costs of profound hearing loss can be as much as $1 million per person.

Will Digital Hearing Aids Help?

If you suspect you have a noticeable amount of hearing loss it’s highly recommended you seek out the aid of a hearing professional. Between the years 2000 and 2015 the amount of Americans with hearing loss has doubled. Even exposure to a noisy subway for a mere 15 minutes per day over a long period of time can cause permanent hearing damage. Globally, hearing loss is the second most prevalent health issue. This number is even higher than diabetes, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy and Parkinson’s combined. Whether or not hearing aids would help you depends on a few factors, all of which can be accurately analyzed with the aid of a professional. Don’t wait to receive help. There are resources available to encourage the best your health has to offer.