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Hearing loss

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Hearing loss is a major public health issue affecting about 9 million people in England

  • because age-related hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss, it is estimated that by 2035 there will be around 13 million people with hearing loss in England - a fifth of the population
  • the psychological, financial and health burden of hearing loss can be reduced by prompt and accurate referral, robust assessment and correct management

hearing loss (2)

  • may occur at any age
  • impairs verbal communication
  • may be unilateral or bilateral
  • can be classified as :
    • conductive - lesions in the outer or middle ear
    • sensorineural -lesions in the inner ear or auditory nerve
    • mixed - both, conductive and sensorineural hearing loss involved
    • central - caused by lesions along the auditory pathway or in the brain (3)

The prevalence of deafness based on age group has been stated (4):

 

Notes:

Normal Hearing

-10-26 dB

Mild Hearing Impairment

27-40 dB

Moderate Hearing Impairment

41-55 dB

Moderately Severe Impairment

56-70 dB

Severe Hearing Impairment

71-90 dB

Profound Hearing Impairment

>= 91 dB

Reference:


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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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