LEARN ABOUT THE RISKS OF LEAVING HEARING LOSS UNTREATED.

Hearing Loss & Health

Map of the United States with text "48 Million Americans"

DID YOU KNOW THAT OVER 48 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH SIGNIFICANT HEARING LOSS?
THAT’S ABOUT 14% OF THE POPULATION.

The Risks of Untreated Hearing Loss

  • 1.5x

    Higher risk of visual impairment

  • 3x

    Higher risk of diabetes

  • 3x

    Higher risk of cardiovascular disease

  • 3x

    Higher risk of falling

  • 5x

    Higher risk of dementia

 
Pie chart showing 40%

40%

Higher risk of
hospitalization

 

32%

Accelerated rate of
cognitive decline

 

Hearing and Emotional Well-being

Those who decide to leave their hearing loss untreated are more likely to experience the following symptoms…

Anger

Frustration

Fatigue

Social Withdrawal

Isolation

Depressive Symptoms

Source Citations

Bainbridge, Kathleen E., Howard J. Hoffman, and Catherine C. Cowie. “Diabetes and Hearing Impairment in the United States: Audiometric Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 to 2004.” Annals of Internal Medicine 149, no. 1 (2008): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-149-1-200807010-00231.

Besser, Jana, Maren Stropahl, Emily Urry, and Stefan Launer. “Comorbidities of Hearing Loss and the Implications of Multimorbidity for Audiological Care.” Hearing Research 369 (2018): 3–14.

Cacciatore, Francesco, Claudio Napoli, Pasquale Abete, Elio Marciano, Maria Triassi, and Franco Rengo. “Quality of Life Determinants and Hearing Function in an Elderly Population: Osservatorio Geriatrico Campano Study Group.” Gerontology 45, no. 6 (1999): 323–28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000022113.

Chia, Ee-Munn, Paul Mitchell, and Elena Rochtchina. “Association Between Vision and Hearing Impairments and Their Combined Effects on Quality of Life.” Archives of Ophthalmology 124, no. 10 (2006): 1465–70. https://doi.org/10.1001/archopht.124.10.1465.

Ciorba, Andrea, Chiara Bianchini, Stefano Pelucchi, and Antonio Pastore. “The Impact of Hearing Loss on the Quality of Life of Elderly Adults.” Clinical Interventions in Aging 2012, no. 7 (2012): 159–63. https://doi.org/10.2147/cia.s26059.

Gates, George A., Janet L. Cobb, and Ralph B. D'Agostino. “The Relation of Hearing in the Elderly to the Presence of Cardiovascular Disease and Cardiovascular Risk Factors.” Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery 119, no. 2 (1993): 156–61. https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.1993.01880140038006.

Genther, Dane J., Joshua Betz, Sheila Pratt, Steven B. Kritchevsky, Kathryn R. Martin, Tamara B. Harris, Elizabeth Helzner, et al. “Association of Hearing Impairment and Mortality in Older Adults.” The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 70, no. 1 (2014): 85–90. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glu094.

Genther, Dane J., Kevin D. Frick, David Chen, Joshua Betz, and Frank R. Lin. “Association of Hearing Loss With Hospitalization and Burden of Disease in Older Adults.” JAMA 309, no. 22 (2013): 2322–24. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.5912.

Lin, Frank R., and Luigi Ferrucci. “Hearing Loss and Falls Among Older Adults in the United States.” Archives of Internal Medicine 172, no. 4 (2012): 369–71. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2011.728.

Lin, Frank R., E. Jeffrey Metter, Richard J. O’Brien, Susan M. Resnick, Alan B. Zonderman, and Luigi Ferrucci. “Hearing Loss and Incident Dementia.” Archives of Neurology 68, no. 2 (2011): 214–20. https://doi.org/10.1001/archneurol.2010.362.

Lin, Frank R., Kristine Yaffe, Jin Xia, Qian-Li Xue, Tamara B. Harris, Elizabeth Purchase-Helzner, Suzanne Satterfield, Hilsa N. Ayonayon, Luigi Ferrucci, and Eleanor M. Simonsick. “Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults.” JAMA Internal Medicine 173, no. 4 (2013): 293–99. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.1868.

Weinstein, Barbara E., and Ira M. Ventry. “Hearing Impairment and Social Isolation in the Elderly.” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 25, no. 4 (1982): 593–99. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.2504.593.