What Is Hearing Loss?

• ehealthmd.com
  General hearing loss information
• Virtual Tour of the Ear....Augustana College
  The best web site that I have seen. Covers numerous audiology topics in a very organized format.  Don't miss this site!!!!
• ENT Frequently Asked Questions
  This site deals with basic questions that people often ask ENT doctors. It is easy to understand and would be beneficial for a patient or student to visit this site.
• Center for Disease Control
  Has a huge amount of information on a variety of topics and studies. You will have to search the site. Type in hearing loss or hearing aids and you will come up with some good articles.
• Hear IT Org. FAQ about people with Hearing Loss
  A good site that is dedicated basically to informing patients and family members about hearing loss. It broaches subjects of prevalence such hearing loss, signs of a hearing loss, and solutions to hearing loss.
• Five Minute Hearing Test... Midwest Ear Institute
  Nice site that allows people who believe they may have a hearing loss to take a quick test to see if they are in need of a hearing evaluation.
• Hearing and Older People... NIA
  Good web site that has general information on recognizing a hearing loss, information on hearing aids, and the different types of hearing losses.
• Midwest Ear Institute Home Page
  Midwest Ear Institute web page addresses hearing loss that occurs in children and adults. A large portion deals with patient education and Meniere's disease.  
• Mankato University... Hearing and Hearing Disorders
  A very  thorough site that has numerous topics that are situated in an outline format. Several of the servers were not found, but overall a very good site.  
• Florida Ear & Sinus Center
  Excellent site that has basic description of surgeries with great graphics.
• University Regensburg... Audiology
  This is a good site that links to numerous servers under different topics. This specific area of the web page is in English.
• Doxy's Doctor's Assistance Systems
  Look under diseases of the ear, nose and throat. This is a very good site, but a large portion is dedicated to eye and nose problem.  You need to scroll down a ways before you find the different Audiology topics.
• Medline Plus Health Information
  The site is good for both physicians and patients. It is in an easy to understand format.
• Entrance to the Everyday World of Hearing and Balance
  A nice site that gives information on a variety of audiological areas for consumers, professionals, and students.  

Facts About Hearing Loss

• More than 40 million Americans have hearing loss.
• Approximately 40% of the hearing-impaired are under age 65.
• About 2 million children under age 18 are hearing-impaired in the U.S.
• Minor decreases in hearing, especially of higher frequencies, are normal after age 20.
• Some form of hearing loss affects 1 out of 5 people by age 55.
• One-third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 - and one-half of those age 85 and older - have some form of hearing loss.
• Hearing loss is the third leading chronic disability, following arthritis and high blood pressure.
• Between 7 and 10 million people in American industry have noise-induced hearing loss, virtually all of which was preventable.
• About 15% of college graduates have a level of hearing loss equal to or greater than their parents; a significant cause is listening to loud music.
• In the U.S., 12 million people have hearing aids.
• Of the 12 million with hearing aids, only 6 million actually wear them eight hours a day, seven days a week.