Interesting facts about audiology:

• Globally, 1.5 billion people – or 20% of the world’s population – experience hearing loss.
• While hearing loss can happen at any age, chances increase as you get older. In fact, 31% of people age 65+ experience hearing loss, which increases to 40% for people 75+.
• Unfortunately, hearing aid use is low, even when hearing impaired people would benefit from using the devices. Only 29.2% of people with hearing loss use hearing aids.
• Up to 1.35 billion young adults (ages 18-34) regularly listen to dangerously loud music, which is leading to noise-induced hearing loss.

Approximately 37.5 million adults in the U.S. and 11 million people in the UK have hearing loss, making it the third most common chronic condition in America, and the second most common in the UK. One in six Australians has hearing loss, a number that’s expected to rise to one in four by 2050, due to the country’s aging population.

Sadly, many people with hearing loss resist seeing an audiologist – or wearing hearing aids – because of the perceived “stigmas” around needing the devices. Some common barriers to hearing aid usage include high cost, lack of accessibility, discomfort, and improper fit.

The audiology industry should work together to banish the stigmas and encourage people with hearing loss to get (and wear!) hearing aids. This is especially important because untreated hearing loss can have a negative impact on people’s mental, physical, and emotional health. For instance, untreated hearing loss has been proven to increase depression, anxiety, isolation, cognitive decline, and dementia, as well as physical conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and balance issues.

For children, untreated hearing loss is frequently linked to learning difficulties, academic underachievement, and challenges with their language development.Children that can’t hear properly – or participate easily in conversations – may also have social challenges, withdrawing and isolating, which can harm their self-esteem, confidence, and overall happiness.  

Maintaining good hearing health offers numerous benefits, like reducing depression, loneliness, and cognitive decline, and contributing to physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing and overall life satisfaction.

A key message during Audiology Awareness Month is that people should schedule regular hearing evaluations to monitor and protect their hearing health. People should see an audiologist right away if they suspect they may have hearing loss.

Common signs of hearing loss include:

• Asking people to repeat themselves.
• Turning up the TV or radio to loud volumes.
• Feeling like people are mumbling or not speaking clearly.
• Having difficulty hearing and understanding people when there's background noise.
• Experiencing ringing, humming, hissing, or other noises in the ears.

Modern hearing aids are nothing like the ugly, large, clunky, beige devices from years ago!

Today’s hearing aids utilize advanced technology to improve sound quality, and a variety of features to fit each patient’s lifestyle needs. The latest devices offer Bluetooth connectivity, rechargeable batteries, and improved sound quality, functionality, and user experience. Hearing aids have also gotten smaller, more stylish, and more streamlined, improving the look and feel.

Every October during Audiology Awareness Month, hearing care professionals can educate the public about hearing health, signs of hearing loss, information about when to see an audiologist, and the importance of using hearing protection in loud environments.

Grassroots efforts are integral to raising awareness. Hearing care professionals rely on various marketing efforts, including social media engagement, to spread key messages.

The American Association of Audiology has a variety of resources on its website to help hearing care professionals promote Audiology Awareness Month, including press release templates, images, and critical messages to share. Many hearing clinics also use social media to raise awareness during Audiology Awareness Month, engage the community, share interesting facts about audiology, and offer valuable information and resources.